R  E  O  I  L  A  T  I  O  ir  S 

OF  THE  (NEW  IIAVEN) 


U8RARY  OF  PRINCETON 


0  2005 


L, 


BV  4935  .T44  M37  1847 
Mason,  Francis,  1799-1874. 
The  Karen  apostle 


^^i^xnJl    ii'% 


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LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 


""  ^0  2006 


KO   THAH-RYU  PREACHING   IN   A   KAREN   HOUSE. 


THE 


KAREN   APOSTLE; 

OR, 

MEMOIR  OF  KO  THAH-BYU, 

THE    FIRST    KAREN    CONVERT  ; 

WITH  A?l    HISTORICAL  AND    GEOGRAPHICAL    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    NATION, 
ITS    TRADITIONS,    PRECEPTS,    RITES,  &C,, 

BY  ' 

REV.  FRANCIS    MASON, 

MISSIONARY    TO    THE    KARENS. 


REVISED    BV 

H.   J.   RIPLEY, 

PROFESSOR    IN    NEWTON    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINART. 


FOURTH    THOUSAND. 


BOSTON: 

GOULD,  KENDALL,  AND  LINCOLN, 

59  Washington  Street. 
1847. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1845, 

By  Gould,  Kendall,  and  Lincoln, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


STEREOTYPED  AT   THE 
BOSTON  TYPE  AND   STEREOTYPE  FOUNDRY. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE. 


The  following  pages  were  sent  to  me  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Mason,  with  the  request  that  I  would 
superintend  their  publication  in  this  country. 
They  are  accordingly  now  sent  forth,  in  hope 
that  the  interest  which  has  been  felt  in  behalf 
.of  the  Karens  may  be  deepened,  and  that  the 
cause  of  missions  to  the  heathen  in  general  may 
be  promoted,  by  the  striking  proof  of  the  power 
of  the  gospel  here  exhibited. 

The  drawing  of  the  Karen  house  is  Mrs. 
Mason's  work.  "  The  house  differs  in  appear- 
ance from  some  drawings  of  Karen  houses  that 
have  been  made,  but  many  are  built  in  this  way." 
The  other  cuts  are  from  Mr.  Malcom's  Travels 
IN  South-Eastern  Asia. 
1  * 


6  INTRODUCTORY    NOTE. 

In  discharging  the  trust  committed  to  me,  I 
have  omitted  a  paragraph  or  two  in  the  second 
chapter,  and  in  another  part  of  the  book  have 
altered  the  arrangement  of  the  materials.  I  have 
also  inserted  the  author's  name  on  the  title-page, 
and  added  a  few  notes.  The  notes  which  I 
have  added  are  distinguished  by  the  letter  E. 


H.  J.  RIPLEY. 


Newtow  Theological  Institutiok, 
March,  1843. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Early  Life  of  Ko  Thah-Byu.  —  His  Conversion  and  Baptism,    9 

CHAPTER  II. 

Burman  Oppression  of  the  Karens.  —  Singular  Prophecy.  —  Ar- 
rival of  the  English.  —  Prophecies  fulfilled  concerning  white 
Foreigners. — Attachment  to  them.  —  Arrival  of  Teachers. — 
The  Karens  obtain  Books, 15 

CHAPTER  HI. 

First  Journey  into  the  Jungle,  to  Khat  —  Second,  to  Thalu.  — 
Seeks  his  Countrymen  in  the  City  of  Tavoy.  —  First  Journey 
across  the  Eastern  Mountains,  to  Tshiekku. —  Second  Visit 
to  Tshiekku.  — Third  Journey  to  Tshiekku. —  Accompanies 
Mr.  Boardman  on  his  first  Tour  among  the  Karens. — Visits 
the  Southern  Karens,  at  Toung-byouk,  Pai,  and  Palouk.  — 
Teaches  School  at  Tshiekku.  —  Goes  to  Siam.  — Journey 
into  the  Maulmain  Karen  Jungles.  —  Returns  to  Tavoy  with 
Mr.  Boardman, 28 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Ko  Thah-Byu's  successful  Labors.  —  Style  of  Preaching.— 
Scene  of  his  Successes.  —  Shades  in  his  Character  —Igno- 
rance.—Love  of  Knowledge  .—-Passion.— Habits  of  Prayer,    41 


8  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Returns  to  Maulmain.  —  Goes  to  Rangoon.  —  Visits  the  Karens. 

•  — Second  Tour. —  Spends  the   Rains   at  Maubee.  — Great 

Success.  —  Barman  Persecution.  —  FJees  to  Pegu,     .     .    49 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Returns  to  Maulmain. —  Second  Visit  to  Rangoon.  —  Returns  to 
Maulmain  again.  —  Goes  to  Arracan.^  Success.  —  Sickness 
and  Death, 68 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

Karen  Mission  most  encouraging.  —  Most  successful.  —  The 
cheapest,  —  Native  Preachers  most  useful.  —  An  Establish- 
ment required  to  educate  them.  —  Susceptibility  of  the  Ka- 
rens to  religious  Impressions.  —  Testimony  of  various  Mis- 
sionaries,       73 


APPENDIX. 

Historical  and  Geographical  Notices, 94 

Scriptural  Traditions, 97 

Scriptural  Precepts, 99 

National  Traditions, 100 

Funeral  Rites, 101 

Prophets,     ....  ... .  103 

Romance  of  Missions, 105 


MEMOIR. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Early  Life  of  Ko  Thah-byu.  —  His  Conversion  and 
Baptism. 

Often  had  the  Christian  voyager  gazed  on  the 
rocky  promontories  of  Burtnah,  crowned  with 
their  whitened  pagodas,  that  glow  amid  the  eternal 
verdure  of  tropic  climes ;  but  he  little  thought 
that  "  the  misty  mountain  tops,"  in  the  distance, 
threw  their  shadows  over  the  eyry  dwellings  of 
a  people,  that,  generation  after  generation,  had 
charged  their  posterity  never  to  worship  idols. 
Xavier  had  passed  their  mountain  homes  when  he 
went  to  look  on,  but  not  to  enter,  inhospitable 
China,  and  find  a  surreptitious  resting-place  and 
grave  upon  its  barren  rocks.  Swartz  had  labored 
half  a  century  to  destroy  the  three  hundred  thou- 
sand gods  of  India,  without  hearing  of  the  nation 
that  had  rejected  them  all  from  the  remotest  ages. 
Carey  had  made  his  forty  versions,  without  a  line 
for  the  people  that  were  longing,  with  "  hope  de- 
ferred," for  the  word  of  God.  And  Judson  had 
lived  Seven  years  in  Rangoon,  preaching  the  eter- 
nal God,  before  a  single  individual  would  admit 
his  existence;    while  the  poor   unnoticed  Karens 


10  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAII-BYU. 

were  continually  passing   his    door,  and   perhaps 
singing  by  the  way,  — 

"  God  is  eternal ;  his  life  is  long  : 
God  is  immortal;  his  life  is  long: 
One  kulpa*  he  dies  not ; 
Two  kulpas  he  dies  not; 
He  is  perfect  in  meritorious  attributes  ; 
Kulpas  on  kulpas  he  dies  not." 

The  Catholics,  who  preceded  Protestants  in 
Burmah  several  decades  f  of  years,  appear  to  have 
entirely  overlooked  the  Karens ;  and  it  was  not 
till  after  the  late  war  between  the  English  and 
the  Burmese,  and  the  removal  of  the  Baptist  mis- 
sion to  the  Tenasserim  coast,  that  they  began  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  missionaries.  The 
first  allusion  to  any  of  that  nation  is  found  in 
Mr.  Judson's  journal  of  April  22,  1827,  where, 
among  three  hopeful  inquirers,  he  mentions 
"  Moung  Thah-pyoo,  a  poor  man,  belonging  to 
Moung  Shway-bay ; "  but  it  was  not  till  Mr. 
Judson's  second  notice,  at  the  close  of  the  year, 
that  we  learn  the  individual  mentioned  was  a  Ka- 
ren. At  that  time,  Mr.  Judson,  speaking  of  his 
hopeful  inquirers,  says,  "  The  second  is  Moung 
Thah-pyoo,t  a  Karen  by  nation,  imperfectly  ac- 
quainted with  the  Burman  language,  and  possessed 
of  very  ordinary  abilities.  He  has  been  about  us 
several  months,  and  we  hope  that  his  mind,  though 
exceedingly  dark  and  ignorant,  has  begun  to  dis- 
cern the   excellency   of  the   religion  of  Christ." 

*  Some  long  period  of  time.  —  E.  f  Tens.  —  E. 

X  The  word  Moung  is  a  Burman  title  of  respect,  applied  to  middle- 
aged  men.  Ko  is  a  similar  title  applied  to  elderly  men.  Pyoo  aftd 
Biju  are  different  modes,  which  have  been  successively  adopted,  of 
spelling  the  same  word.  Hence  Moung-  Thah-pyoo  and  Ko  Thah-byu 
designate  the  same  man  at  different  periods  of  his  life.  —  E. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  11 

This  is  the  individual  to  whom  the  following  rem- 
iniscences relate.     It  is  very  true  that  he   was  a 
man  "  possessed  of  very  ordinary  abilities,"  and 
has  therefore  left  no  literary  relics,  from  which  to 
compile  a  bulky  memoir.     It  is  true  that  he  was 
degraded  among  a  people  that  characterize  them- 
selves as  "  a  nation  most  debased  arnon^  the  de- 
based ; "  that  he  was  a  poor  man,  and  a  slave,  till 
Mr.  Judson  set  him  free.     But  it  is  also  true  that 
he  was  afterwards  a  faithful  and  successful  mis- 
sionary,  and   a   distinguished    instrument   in    the 
hands  of  God  to  arouse  the  attention  of  the  Karen 
nation  to  Christianity.     From  the  day  of  his  bap- 
tism to  his  death,  he  never  intermitted  his  labors 
in  preaching  Christ,  where  the  Savior  had  not  so 
much  as  been  named,  from  Tavoy  to  Siam ;  from 
Martaban  to  the  borders  of  Zimmay ;   and  from 
Rangoon  to  Arracan.     And  though  he  was  the  first 
of  his  nation  to  go  down  into  the  baptismal  waters, 
he  lived  to  see  hundreds  and  hundreds  follow  his 
steps,  in  whose  conversion  he  held  a  distinguished 
part.     We  cannot  err  in  honoring  those  whom  God 
honors;  and    it   therefore  seems  proper    that   the 
name  of  Ko  Thah-byu   should   be  rescued   from 
oblivion,  and  inscribed  among  the  worthies  of  the 
church,  that  the  rising  generation  may  learn  what 
"  very  ordinary  abilities,"  when  wholly  consecrated 
to  God,  may  accomplish. 

Ko  Thah-byu  was  born  about  the  year  1778,  at 
a  village  called  Oo-twau,  four  days'  journey  north 
of  Bassein.  He  resided  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  was  then,  as  he  rep- 
resented himself,  a  wicked  and  ungovernable  boy ; 
and,  when  he  left  his  parents,  he  became  a  robber 
and  a  murderer.     "  How  many  of  his  fellow-men 


12  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

he  had  murdered,  either  as  principal  or  accessory," 
writes  one  of  the  brethren,  "  he  did  not  exactly 
know  himself;  more  than  thirty,  without  doubt, 
accordinor  to  his  own  confession.  His  natural 
temper  was  diabolical.  After  the  Burmese  war, 
he  went  to  Rangoon,  and  got  into  Mr.  Hough's 
service."  There  some  religious  impressions  were 
made  on  his  mind,  and  he  ever  remembered  Mr. 
Hough  with  great  affection  ;  and  not  unfrequently 
"Teacher  Hough"  was  mentioned  many  years 
afterwards  in  his  public  prayers  in  Tavoy.  "  He 
followed  Mr.  Judson  to  Amherst,"  where  "Ko 
Shway-bay,"  writes  one  of  the  missionary  sisters, 
"  paid  for  him  a  debt  of  ten  or  twelve  rupees,  and 
took  him  into  his  family  as  a  servant.*  We  had 
before  felt,"  she  continues,  "  an  interest  in  the 
Karens,  as  a  people  who  had  not  adopted  the  sys- 
tems of  idolatry  exhibited  by  the  more  civilized 
nations  around  them ;  and  this  being  the  first  op- 
portunity we  had  enjoyed  of  presenting  to  their 
minds  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  we  naturally  felt 
deeply  anxious  that  the  grace  of  God  should  make 
it  effectual  to  his  salvation.  Truth  seemed,  how- 
ever, to  make  no  impression  upon  his  mind  for  a 
long  time  ;  and  Ko  Shway-bay,  getting  discouraged 
with  regard  to  doing  him  any  good,  informed  us 
that  Ko  Thah-byu's  moral  character  proved  to  be 
such,  that  he  could  no  longer  retain  him  in  his 
family.  Mr.  Judson,  however,  who  at  the  time 
lived  with  us,  proposed  to  pay  the  debt,  if  we 
could  find  employment  by  which  he  could  support 
himself;  and  he  was  accordingly  transferred  to  our 
family.     Soon  after  this  period,  he  began  to  pay 

*  According  to  Burman  law,  the  debtor  becomes  a  slave  to  the 
creditor. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  13 

more  attention  to  religious  instruction,  and  though 
his  fits  of  violent  temper  gave  us  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  it  was  not  very  long  before  we  began  to 
see  signs  of  repentance  and  the  first  dawnings  of 
faith  in  a  crucified  Savior.  His  mind  was,  how- 
ever, extremely  dark  ;  he  was  very  slow  to  believe ; 
and  then  his  violent  temper  often  cast  him  down, 
and  quite  discouraged  him  from  praying.  After 
some  time,  however,  his  faith  began  to  gain  a  little 
strength,  and  we,  with  great  joy,  perceived  a  grad- 
ual improvement  in  his  character.  The  little  Bur- 
man  church  were,  however,  very  slow  to  perceive 
the  change;  and  though  he  often  begged  for  the 
privilege  of  baptism,  yet,  not  having  gained  a  full 
victory  over  his  violent  passions,  they  could  not 
think  he  had  really  been  '  born  again.'  After  hav- 
ing been  with  us  about  a  year,  the  church  gained 
sufficient  evidence  of  the  chano^e  to  receive  him 
as  one  of  their  number,  and  the  next  Sabbath  was 
appointed  for  his  baptism.  During  the  year,  how- 
ever, another  Karen  man,  with  a  family,  and  a 
young  woman,  with  her  two  little  orphan  brothers, 
relatives  of  the  family,  made  their  appearance  in 
Maulmain,  and,  being  in  a  most  miserable,  starving 
condition,  we  gave  them  a  little  place  to  live  in,  and 
took  the  young  woman  into  the  girls'  school,  while 
the  two  little  boys  were  put  into  Mr.  Boardman's 
school  for  boys.  The  young  woman  improved 
much  in  the  school,  and  gave  good  attention  to 
religious  instruction ;  so  that  Ko  Thah-byu  had 
married  her  previous  to  the  time  appointed  for  his 
baptism.  He  had  likewise  been  studying  very 
diligently,  in  order  to  be  able  to  read  the  Burman 
Bible.  But  before  the  day  for  his  baptism  arrived, 
Mr.  Boardman  being  ready  to  sail  for  Tavoy,  and 
2 


14 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


wishing  to  take  the  two  little  Karen  boys  with 
him,  Ko  Thah-byu  concluded  to  accompany  him, 
as  his  wife  was  unwilling  to  be  separated  so  far 
from  her  little  brothers ;  and  his  baptism  was 
accordingly  deferred  until  he  should  arrive  in 
Tavoy." 

His  baptism  is  thus  recorded  by  Mr.  Boardman, 
in  his  journal  of  May  16,  1828  :  — 

"  Repaired  early  in  the  morning  to  a  neighbor- 
ing tank,  and  administered  Christian  baptism  to 
Ko  Thah-byu,  the  Karen  Christian  who  accompa- 
nied us  from  Maulmain.  May  we  often  have  the 
pleasure  of  witnessing  such  scenes!  The  three 
Karen  visitors  were  present.  They  appear  to  be 
impressed  with  the  truth  of  our  doctrine.  They 
have  urged  Ko  Thah-byu  to  accompany  them,  so 
that  I  have  left  it  for  him  to  choose  whether  he 
will  go  or  stay.  He  has  concluded  to  go.  Per- 
haps God  has  a  work  for  him  to  do  among  his 
countrymen.  He  is  very  zealous  in  the  cause 
of  declaring  what  he  knows." 

Before  following  him  into  the  jungles,  it  may 
not  be  deemed  inappropriate  to  notice,  in  a  sepa- 
rate chapter,  the  preparation  of  the  Tavoy  Karens 
to  receive  the  gospel. 


Waterins  a  Rice  Field. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  15 


CHAPTER    II. 

Burman  Oppression  of  the  Karens.  —  Singular  Prophecy. 
—  Arrival  of  the  English. —  Prophecies  fulfilled  con- 
cerning  white  Foreigners. — Attachment  to  them.  —  Ar- 
rival  of  Teachers.  —  The  Karens  obtain  Books. 

The  remarkable  traditions  of  Scripture  doc- 
trines and  facts,  which  make  the  Karen  nation  a 
people  prepared  for  the  gospel  in  a  manner  above 
all  other  unevangelized  nations,  are  well  known, 
and  will  not  be  repeated  here.  But  the  following 
extracts  from  an  unpublished  address  to  the  Eng- 
lish governor-general,  written  by  Sau  Q,ua-la,  a 
Karen  assistant  missionary,  exhibit  the  local  con- 
dition and  anticipations  of  the  Tavoy  Karens  so 
vividly,  that,  should  they  contain  any  thing  irrele- 
vant to  the  present  subject,  it  will  be  overlooked, 
it  is  believed,  from  the  consideration  that  every 
sentence  is  the  unsuggested  production  of  a  Karen, 
who,  when  Ko  Thah-byu  entered  the  jungles,  was 
wild  as  "  the  untaught  Indian." 

'*  Through  the  goodness  of  God,  my  nation, 
sons  of  the  forest,  and  children  of  poverty,  ought 
to  praise  thy  nation,  the  white  foreigners,  exceed- 
ingly ;  and  we  ought  to  obey  your  orders,  for  the 
Karens,  the  sons  of  the  eastern  forest,  have  neither 
head  nor  ear.  They  are  poor,  and  scattered  every 
where  j  are  divided  in  every  direction ;  at  the 
sources  of  the  waters,  and  in  the  glens  above  them. 
When  they  fall  among  the  Siamese,  the  Siamese 
make  them  slaves.  When  they  fall  among  the 
Burmans,  the  Burmans  make   them   slaves.     So 


16  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

they  live  on  one  stream  beyond  another,  and  can- 
not see  each  other.  They  have  had  other  things 
to  do  rather  than  visit.  The  Burmans  make  them 
drag  boats,  cut  ratans,  collect  dammer,  seek  bees- 
wax, gather  cardamums,  strip  bark  for  cordage, 
clear  away  cities,  pull  logs,  and  weave  large  mats. 
Besides  this,  they  demanded  of  them  presents  of 
yams,  the  bulbo-tubers  of  arum,  ginger,  capsicum, 
flesh,  elephants'  tusks,  rhinoceroses'  horns,  and  all 
the  various  kinds  of  vegetables  that  are  eaten  by 
the  Burmans.  The  men  being  employed  thus, 
the  women  had  to  labor  at  home.  Sometimes  the 
men  were  not  at  home  four  or  five  days  in  two  or 
three  months.  Further,  the  young  females  had  to 
secrete  themselves,  and  affect  rudeness,  and  black- 
en their  faces ;  for  if  they  did  not,  the  Burman 
officers  would  drag  them  away,  and  make  them 
prostitutes.  If  any  one  was  reputed  handsome, 
and  it  came  to  the  ears  of  the  Burman  rulers,  she 
was  taken  away  immediately ;  so  that  the  young 
females  dared  not  appear  openly.  Sometimes, 
when  a  Burman  asked,  '  Is  she  a  maiden  ? '  the 
Karens  would  reply  falsely, '  No,  she  has  a  husband.' 
The  married  women,  also,  that  were  handsome, 
had  to  conceal  themselves.  The  men  were  com- 
pelled, by  the  Burman  rulers,  to  guard  forts,  to 
act  as  guides,  to  kidnap  Siamese,  and  to  go  from 
one  place  to  another,  till  many  dropped  down  dead 
in  the  midst  of  the  jungle.  Notwithstanding  they 
did  all  this,  they  had  their  arms  twisted  behind 
them,  were  beaten  with  stripes,  boxed  with  the 
fist,  and  pounded  with  the  elbow,  days  without 
end. 

"  In  the  midst  of  these  sufferings,  they  remem- 
bered the  ancient  sayings  of  the  elders,  and  prayed ^ 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  17 

beneath  the  bushes,  though  the  rains  poured  upon 
them,  or  the  mosquitoes,  the  gnats,  the  leeches,  or 
the  horseflies  bit  them.  The  elders  said,  '  Chil- 
dren and  grandchildren,  as  to  the  Karen  nation, 
their  God  will  yet  save  them.'  Hence,  in  their 
deep  affliction,  they  prayed,  '  If  God  will  save  us, 
let  him  save  speedily.  We  can  endure  these  suf- 
ferings no  longer.     Alas  !  where  is  God  ? ' 

"Sometimes  the  Burmans  would  kidnap  the 
Karens  in  Siam,  and  carry  them  up  to  Ava,  to  the 
presence  of  the  king ;  and,  thus  separated  from 
father  or  mother,  husband  or  wife,  child  or  grand- 
cl#Id,  they  yearned  for  each  other,  and  many  sick- 
ened and  died  on  the  way,  before  reaching  the 
monarch's  feet.  Sometimes  the  Siamese  kidnapped 
the  Karens  in  Burmah,  and  subjected  them  to  like 
treatment.  The  Karens  in  Siam  knew  that  those 
whom  the  Siamese  brought  from  Burmah  were 
their  relatives,  and  their  tears  flowed  when  they 
saw  them ;  yet  they  dared  not  tell  the  Siamese,  or 
supplicate  for  them.  So  those  in  Burmah,  when 
they  saw  the  Burmans  leading  away  the  Karens 
they  had  kidnapped  in  Siam,  knew  they  were  their 
cousins ;  yet  they  dared  not  speak  or  entreat  for 
them ;  for  if  they  said  they  were  their  relations, 
or  begged  for  them,  death  was  the  immediate  con- 
sequence. Moreover,  the  Karens  dared  not  dwell 
near  the  cities;  for  the  Burmans  took  away  all 
their  rice  and  paddy,  and  every  thing  they  had, 
and  carried  off  their  women  by  force.  Hence 
they  went  far  off,  and  dwelt  on  the  streamlets,  and 
in  the  gorges  of  the  mountains.  After  all,  the 
rulers  sometimes  took  their  paddy ;  and,  in  a  state 
of  starvation,  they  would  eat  at  random  the  roots 
and  leaves  of  the  jungle,  and  thus  great  numbers 
3* 


18  MEMOIR    OP    KO    THAH-BYU. 

died.  Sometimes  the  rulers  assembled  them  to- 
gether near  the  city,  where,  having  nothing  to  eat, 
great  numbers  died  of  sickness  and  starvation. 
Sometimes  they  would  have  to  carry  rice  for  sol- 
diers under  march,  and  being  unable  to  cultivate 
their  fields,  great  numbers  died  of  hunger  from 
this  cause.  Then,  those  whom  the  rulers  called, 
if  unable  to  go,  either  from  sickness  in  their  fami- 
lies, or  in  their  own  persons,  had  to  give  money  to 
the  officers  that  came,  and  money  for  the  rulers 
that  sent  them ;  and  if  they  had  no  money,  they 
were  compelled  to  borrow  of  the  Burmans,  and 
thus  became  their  slaves.  * 

"  Furthermore,  the  Karens  were  not  permitted 
to  go  into  the  presence  of  the  rulers.  They  were 
only  allowed  to  hold  a  little  communication  with 
the  Burman  that  was  set  over  them.  At  one  time, 
in  the  days  of  Diwoon,  when  the  Karens  were  fast 
dying  off  with  starvation,  and  were  so  employed 
that  they  could  not  cultivate  the  land,  my  uncle, 
who  is  a  chief,  determined  to  go  and  ask  the  gov- 
ernor to  give  the  Karens  liberty  to  cultivate  the 
land  and  raise  provisions  to  a  small  extent.  So 
he  went  in  to  Diwoon ;  but  he  was  thrown  into 
prison  immediately.  His  brethren  had  no  rice  to 
bring  him,  and  they  could  feed  him  there  only 
with  the  stems  of  wild  plantain-trees,  the  male 
blossoms  with  their  spathes,  and  the  young  shoots 
of  bamboos. 

"  Great  Ruler,  the  ancestors  of  the  Karens 
charged  their  posterity  thus  :  '  Children  and  grand- 
children, if  the  thing  come  by  land,  weep ;  if  by 
water,  laugh.  It  will  not  come  in  our  days,  but  it 
will  in  yours.  If  it  come  first  by  water,  you  will 
be  able  to  take  breath ;  but  if  first  by  land,  you 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  19 

will  not  find  a  spot  to  dwell  in.'  Hence,  when 
the  Karens  were  in  the  midst  of  their  intense  suf- 
ferings, they  longed  for  those  that  were  to  come 
by  water  to  come  first. 

"Again,  the  elders  said,  'When  the  Karens 
have  cleared  the  Hornbill  city  *  three  times,  hap- 
piness will  arrive.'  So  when  the  Bur  man  rulers 
made  them  clear  it  the  last  time,  they  said  among 
themselves,  '  Now  we  may  suppose  happiness  is 
coming,  for  this  completes  the  third  time  of  clear- 
ing the  Hornbill  city ; '  and  true  enough,  for  be- 
fore they  had  finished,  we  heard  that  the  white 
foreigners  had  taken  Rangoon!  Then  the  Bur- 
man  rulers  made  the  Karens  carry  stones  and 
throw  them  into  Tavoy  River,  that  the  foreign  ships 
might  not  be  able  to  come  up.  They  compelled 
them  also  to  become  soldiers,  and  to  muster,  each 
one  with  a  bow  and  quiver ;  and  as  they  had  no 
guns,  every  one  had  to  arm  himself  also  with  a 
cudgel ;  for  the  Burmans  said,  that,  when  the  for- 
eigners got  on  land,  they  would  be  unable  to  walk, 
and  might  be  beaten  to  death  with  sticks.  When, 
however,  the  news  came  that  the  foreigners  had 
entered  the  mouth  of  Tavoy  River,  the  Karens 
let  themselves  down  over  the  wall  of  the  city  by 
night,  and  fled  into  the  jungles.  Then  the  Karens 
all  ran  and  secreted  themselves,  both  men,  and 
women,  and  children;  cooking  food  only  when 
the  smoke  could  be  concealed  by  the  clouds  and 
vapors;  for  they  were  apprehensive  that,  if  the 
Burmans  were  overcome,  they  would  fly  also,  and 
trace  them  by  the  smoke.     Some  of  the  men  in 


*  The  site  of  an  old  city,  near  Tavoy,  which   the  Karens  were 
called  in  to  clear  occasionally,  when  the  trees  grew  up  over  it. 


20  MEMOIR    OF    KO   THAH-BYU. 

the  city  were  unable  to  get  away,  and  remained 
till  it  was  taken  ;  and  some  that  fled  were  unable 
to  find  their  families,  they  having  previously  se- 
creted themselves.  In  a  little  more  than  ten  days, 
however,  we  heard  that  the  foreigners  had  taken 
possession,  and  that  those  who  wished  to  go  to  the 
city  had  liberty.  Then  the  Karens  rejoiced,  and 
said,  '  Now  happiness  has  arrived.  The  thing  has 
come  by  water.  Now  we  may  take  breath.'  And 
those  that  were  concealed  returned  to  their  homes, 
with  their  wives  and  little  ones. 

"  The  Karens  soon  learned  that  the  foreigners 
were  not  vile,  like  the  Burmans ;  and  they  came 
to  the  city  frequently,  and  the  women  with  them. 
Formerly  the  women  were  afraid  of  the  Burmans, 
and  dared  not  come  to  the  city ;  so  they  had  never 
seen  it.  Besides,  it  was  very  pleasant  to  look  at 
the  foreign  soldiers,  standing  in  straight  rows ; 
and,  as  they  were  quiet  and  civil,  the  Karens 
brought  their  wives  and  little  ones  to  look  at  them. 
Then  we  remembered  the  words  of  the  prophet, 
who  said,  '  See,  see,  the  white  foreigners !  the 
white  foreigners !  They  stand  gracefully,  sit 
gracefully,  eat  gracefully,  drink  gracefully,  sleep 
gracefully,  dwell  gracefully,  go  gracefully,  return 
gracefully,  speak  gracefully,  talk  gracefully  ; '  and 
he  had  sung,  — 

'  The  sons  of  God,  the  white  foreigners, 
Dress  in  shining  black  and  shining  white. 
The  white  foreigners  the  children  of  God, 
Dress  in  shining  black  and  shining  red.' 

"  And  so  we  saw  them.  They  came  with  black 
soldiers  and  white  soldiers,  and  the  rulers  were 
dressed  just  as  the  prophet  had  said.     We  had 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  21 

never  seen  white  foreigners  before;  but  we  had 
heard  the  elders  say,  '  As  to  the  white  foreigners, 
they  are  righteous.  They  were  the  guides  of  God 
anciently ;  so  God  blessed  them,  and  they  sailed  in 
ships  and  cutters ;  and  can  cross  oceans,  and 
reach  lands.'  The  elders  said  further,  that  the 
Karens  were  originally  seven  brethren,  of  whom 
the  white  foreigners  were  the  youngest.  Still  the 
generation  before  us,  that  told  us  these  things,  had 
never  seen  them,  and  knew  not  how  they  looked. 
They  merely  related  what  the  elders  said  an- 
ciently. Through  the  goodness  of  God,  my  gen- 
eration is  permitted  to  see  them.  The  elders 
further  sung,  in  relation  to  the  white  foreigners, 
as  follows :  — 

'  The  sons  of  God,  the  white  foreigners, 
Obtained  the  words  of  God. 
The  white  foreigners,  the  children  of  God, 
Obtained  the  words  of  God  anciently.' 

"  Great  Ruler,  afterwards  we  heard  that,  after 
staying  three  years,  the  white  foreigners  would  re- 
turn. Then  we  wept  aloud.  We  said  to  each 
other,  '  If  the  foreigners  go  away,  the  race  of  the 
Karens  will  be  wholly  cut  off; '  for  in  the  days  of 
Alompra  and  Diwoon,*  they  died  like  dogs,  whole 
families  often  dying  off  together ;  and  about  the 
time  the  white  foreigners  arrived,  the  Burmans 
were  preparing  to  make  an  end  of  them,  having 
assembled  them  together  near  the  city.  But  the 
Karens  having  heard  reports  that  the  white  for- 
eigners were  coming,  they  prayed  diligently  for 
their  arrival.     The  prophet,  too,  sung  at  worship,  — 

*  Alompra  was  a  courageous  chief,  who,  about  a  century  ago, 
usurped  the  royal  power  among  the  Burmans.  Of  Diwoon  I  find  no 
information.  He  was,  doubtless,  an  individual  of  some  distinction  at 
a  more  recent  date.  —  E. 


2^  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

♦  The  city  of  Ava  says,  she  is  great ; 
She  is  not  equal  to  the  heel  of  God's  foot. 
The  city  of  Ava  says,  she  is  exceedingly  great ; 
She  is  not  equal  to  the  sole  of  God's  foot.' 

"  Thus  they  sung,  and  prayed,  that  the  white 
foreigners  might  come.  When  they  arrived,  the 
Karens  in  Burmah  and  Siam  heard  of  each  other, 
and  saw  each  other. 

"  After  the  foreign  rulers  and  their  soldiers  had 
been  here  a  short  time,  the  white  foreign  teacher 
Boardman  arrived,  and  came  into  the  jungles,  and 
preached  the  words  of  God.  We  gave  attention, 
and  remembered  that  the  elders  said,  the  white 
foreigners  had  obtained  the  words  of  God,  that 
they  were  our  younger  brethren,  and  that  they 
were  righteous.     Again,  the  elders  said,  — 

'  Who  created  the  world  in  the  beginning .' 
God  created  the  world  in  the  beginning. 
God  appointed  every  thing  : 
God  is  unsearchable.' 

''  All  things  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  O  children 
and  grandchildren,  God  created  them.  '  Never 
forget  God.  Pray  to  him  every  day  and  every 
night.'  And  before  the  arrival  of  the  white  for- 
eigners, a  prophet,  singing,  said,  — 

'  Great  mother  comes  by  sea, 
Comes  with  purifying  water,  the  head  water. 
The  teacher  comes  from  the  horizon : 
He  comes  to  teach  the  little  ones.' 

Hence  not  a  few  of  the  Karens  believed. 

"  We  next  heard  that  teacher  Wade,  at  Maul- 
main,  had  made  Karen  books ;  so  teacher  Mason 
sent  up  Kau-la-pau  and  myself,  in  a  ship,  to  learn. 
Then  many  of  the  Karens,  here  and  there,  learned 
to  read  their  own  language  ;  and  we  remembered 


,  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  33 

that  the  elders  had  said  again,  *  Children  and 
grandchildren,  the  Karen  books  will  yet  arrive. 
When  their  books  arrive,  they  will  obtain  a  little 
happiness.'  Therefore,  O  great  Ruler,  God  hav- 
ing given  thee  great  goodness  and  kindness,  we 
are  very  happy.  Now,  the  Karens,  though  they 
be  maidens,  or  mothers,  or  children,  may  come 
and  dwell  in  the  city ;  may  dress  as  they  wish  ; 
put  on  what  they  wish ;  and  adorn  themselves  as 
they  wish.  It  was  not  so  in  the  days  of  the  Bur- 
mans :  we  could  never  do  so  then.  In  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  how  numerous  are  the  reasons  that 
we  have  to  praise  thy  goodness  and  thy  benefi- 
cence !  May  God  establish  thy  towns  and  thy 
cities,  thy  lands  and  thy  territories.  Through  thy 
acts,  the  Karens,  the  children  of  poverty,  and  the 
sons  of  the  forest,  breathe  with  ease.  May  God, 
then,  make  great  thy  power  and  thy  might,  till  thy 
government  shall  embrace  all  the  children  of  pov- 
erty throughout  the  earth.  And  may  God,  whom 
thou  worshippest,  do  good  unto  thee,  and  watch 
over  thee,  and  thy  children  and  grandchildren. 

"  Again  the  elders  said,  '  Children  and  grand- 
children, when  the  white  foreigners  and  the  Karens 
fight,  then  happiness  will  arrive.  And  how  will 
they  fight?  The  white  foreigners  will  come  in 
ships,  and  shoot  at  the  Karens ;  and  the  loads  of 
their  cannon  and  muskets  will  be  changed  to  sa- 
vory plantains  and  sweet  sugar-cane;  and  the 
Karens  will  eat  them.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Karens,  armed  with  adzes,  will  go  and  make  holes 
in  their  ships.  Then  the  Karens  and  white  for- 
eigners will  recognize  each  other  as  brethren ;  and 
one  will  say,  "O  my  younger  brother!"  and  the 
other  will  say,  "  O  my  elder  brother  1 "    And  they 


24  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  , 

will  become  real  brethren,  and  there  will  be  peace 
and  happiness.'  Now,  the  white  foreign  teachers, 
that  preach  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  came 
by  ship;  and  before  the  people  understood  what 
they  heard,  they  contradicted;  but  the  teachers 
talked  to  them  till  they  understood,  and  then  they 
knew  that  God  [whom  the  teachers  preached]  was 
the  One  God;  and  the  teachers  made  us  books, 
and  were  thus  able  to  teach  us.  Great  Ruler,  for- 
merly the  Karens  had  no  books,  and  when  they 
wished  to  learn  to  read,  they  went  to  the  Burmese, 
or  Siamese,  or  Taling  kyoungs.*  There  they 
made  them  pull  up  weeds  around  the  pagodas,  car- 
ry bricks  to  build  new  ones,  and  go  out  and  beg 
food,  and  they  beat  them  and  whipped  them ;  so 
that  they  could  never  learn  well. 

"  Through  thy  favor  and  kindness,  the  people 
of  my  generation  are  very  happy ;  and  we  hear 
again,  and  more  perfectly,  of  God,  of  whom  our 
ancestors  told  us.  Great  Ruler,  though  we  heard 
anciently  of  God  from  our  ancestors,  yet,  through 
the  persecutions  of  the  Burmans  and  Talings,  we 
gave  random  worship  to  images ;  but  we  still 
hoped  that  our  God  would  save  us,  and  we  prayed 
to  him  on  our  pillows.  Now,  through  thy  good- 
ness and  beneficence,  we  worship  God  as  we  please. 
May  God  establish  thy  city  and  thy  generation. 

*'  Great  Ruler,  our  ancestors  said  that  the  white 
foreigners  were  our  younger  brethren ;  that  they 
guided  away  God  anciently,  and  obtained  books 
and  ships ;  and  that  they  are  more  skilful  than  all 
other  nations,  and  are  able  to  reach  lands,  and  cross 
oceans.    Furthermore,  the  elders  said, '  When  their 

*  Monasteries  of  the  priests.  —  E. 


MEMOIR    OP    KO    THAH-BYU.  25 

younger  brother  arrives,  the  Karens  will  be  happy. 
Their  younger  brother  was  able  to  keep  in  compa- 
ny with  God.'  And  now  we  see  you  !  We  are  a 
worthless  nation.  We  are  the  poorest  of  races. 
We  are  a  tribe  of  wild  men.  We  are  a  nation  of 
slaves  to  all  people.  Among  fools,  we  are  the 
greatest  fools.  Now,  through  the  goodness  of 
God,  the  white  foreign  teachers  have  taught  us  to 
read,  and  I  am  enabled  to  write  to  thee. 

"  Great  Ruler,  thy  goodness  and  beneficence  to 
the  Karen  nation  we  shall  never  forget,  down  to 
the  generations  of  our  children  and  grandchildren. 
Great  Ruler,  forget  us  not ;  cast  us  not  away  into 
the  hands  of  other  nations.  We  are  exceedingly 
happy  in  thee.  Thou  art  as  he  of  whom  we  sung 
anciently,  — 

♦  The  Great  Chief;  his  words  are  bliss, 
As  the  impervious  shade  of  the  great  banyan.' 

"  We  are  happy  in  thee,  far  above  all  other  na- 
tions that  ever  ruled  us  before ;  but  we  fear  that 
the 'White  foreigners  will  go  back,  and  the  Siamese 
and  the  Burmese  will  come  and  persecute  us  again. 
Great  Ruler,  we,  the  Karen  nation,  have  no  cities, 
no  towns,  no  villages,  no  hamlets.  We  are  now 
dwelling  beneath  thy  shadow,  and  are  exceedingly 
happy,  and  obtain  our  sustenance  with  great  ease. 
Because  thou  hast  been  merciful,  may  God  have 
mercy  on  thee,  generation  after  generation.  If 
thou  givest  us  up  again  into  the  hands  of  the  Bur- 
mans,  our  race  will  really  be  brought  to  an  end. 
Formerly,  we  dwelt  as  in  the  midst  of  a  thorn 
bush;  but  in  thee,  we  dwell  as  on  a  mat  spread 
down  to  sleep  upon.  May  God  make  thee  joyful 
and  happy,  generation  after  generation. 
3 


26  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

"  The  white  foreign  teachers  have  preached  the 
words  of  God,  and  some  of  us  have  become  disci- 
ples. Great  Ruler,  it  is  of  thy  goodness  and  be- 
neficence. Further,  the  Karens,  the  sons  of  the 
forest,  a  nation  of  slaves,  a  people  of  the  deepest 
poverty,  thou  hast  freed  from  taxes.  Thy  good- 
ness and  beneficence  is  so  great,  that  we  rejoice 
till  we  can  rejoice  no  more.  And  the  people  of 
thy  nation,  the  white  foreigners  that  live  with  us 
here,  the  ruler  of  the  city  and  the  ruler  of  the 
provinces,  the  officers  and  soldiers,  the  doctors  and 
teachers,  are  good  men.  Great  Ruler,  through 
thy  acts  I  believe  the  words  of  the  elders.  The 
elders  said,  *  The  white  foreigners  are  righteous. 
They  will  not  do  any  thing  that  is  improper. 
They  do  not  act  regardless  of  every  thing j  like 
the  Talings  and  Burmans.  They  never  use  com- 
pulsion. They  dwell  with  truth.  When  they  ar- 
rive, the  Karens  will  be  happy,'  I  believe  these 
words.  The  Karens  have  been  slaves,  generation 
upon  generation.  When  demands  were  made  of 
us,  we  must  give,  whether  we  had  whereof  to  give 
or  not ;  when  they  called  us,  we  must  go,  night  or 
day,  whether  able  to  go  or  not ;  they  made  us  sick ; 
they  persecuted  us ;  they  killed  us,  like  insects. 
But  thou,  Great  Ruler,  thou  hast  snatched  us  from 
the  hands  of  an  evil  people.  Truly,  thou  hast 
bought  us,  and  then  given  us  our  liberty  for 
nought.  Truly,  thou  art  righteous;  truly,  thou 
dvvellest  with  truth,  as  our  ancestors  said.  Verily, 
thou  dost  love ;  verily,  thou  art  merciful.  The 
goodness  and  beneficence  of  thine  acts  to  us  are 
so  great,  that  they  go  far  beyond  what  we  could 
ever  conceive.  May  God  be  with  thee.  Thy 
goodness  and  beneficence  in  freeing  us,  and  mak- 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


27 


ing  us  happy,  we  will  never  forget,  but  tell  it  to 
succeeding  generations,  as  our  ancestors  told  us 
of  the  white  foreigners  anciently.  Great  Ruler, 
may  God  watch  over  thee,  and  do  good  unto  thee, 
and  widen  out  thy  kingdom  and  territories,  gen- 
eration after  generation,  forever." 


A    IVeddins:  Procession. 


5J8  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


CHAPTER    III. 

First  Journey  into  the  Jungle^  to  Kliat.  —  Second,  to  Thalu 

—  Seeks  his  Countrymen  in  the  City  of  Tavoy.  —  First 
Journey  across  the  eastern  Mountains,  to  Tshiekku.  — 
Second  Visit  to  Tshiekku.  —  Third  Journey  to  Tshiekku. 

—  .Accompanies  Mr.  Boardman  on  his  first  Tour  among 
the  Karens.  —  Visits  the  Southern  Karens,  at  Toung- 
byouk,  Pai,  and  Palouk.  —  Teaches  School  at  Tshiek- 
ku. —  Goes  to  Siam.  —  Journey  into  the  Maulmain  Karen 
Jungles.  —  Returns  to  Tavoy  with  Mr.  Boardman. 

Immediately  after  his  baptism,  Ko  Thah-byu, 
accompanied  by  two  of  his  countrymen,  that  were 
present,  left  Tavoy  to  visit  the  Karens  beyond  the 
eastern  mountains,  in  the  valley  of  the  Tenasserim. 
The  rains,  which  had  commenced,  were  so  power- 
ful, and  the  streams  so  high,  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  abandon  his  intentions;  but  he  turned 
aside,  on  his  return,  to  a  little  settlement  of  Karens 
on  Khat  Creek,  a  few  miles  south  of  his  path,  and 
a  short  day's  walk  from  town.  "  It  was  planting 
season,"  says  one  of  my  Karen  correspondents, 
who  lived  there,  "  and  we  had  gone  to  plant  on 
the  hill  sides,  when  one  of  those,  who  had  been 
left  behind  in  the  house,  came  and  said,  '  Here  is 
a  man  come  from  the  up  country,  to  trace  his 
genealogy  to  us  :  come  and  listen.'  We  went  and 
found  Ko  Thah-byu,  who  preached  and  explained 
the  catechism.  All  gave  attention,  and  Moung 
Khway  resolved  at  once  to  become  a  Christian ; 
and  he  went  with  Ko  Thah-byu,  on  his  return  to 
town,  to  see  the  teacher."     This  man,  the  first 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  ^     29 

fruits  of  Ko  Thah-byu's  labors,  was  brother  to  the 
chief  of  the  village,  and  became  a  most  valuable 
member  of  the  church.  He  was  an  efficient  aux- 
iliary in  the  evangelizing  of  his  village,  nearly  the 
whole  of  whose  inhabitants  ultimately  became 
Christians.  At  the  time  of  his  baptism,  Mr. 
Boardman  writes  concerning  him,  "  He  appears 
remarkably  well.  With  but  little  opportunity  of 
receiving  instruction,  he  has  made  great  progress 
in  Christian  knowledge  and  practice.  His  expe- 
rience and  heavenly-mindedness  might,  perhaps, 
put  many  a  worldly-minded  Christian  to  the  blush." 

Mr.  Boardman,  recording  his  return,  says,  *'  Ko 
Thah-byu,  finding  the  rains  very  violent,  and  the 
brooks  much  swelled,  was  obliged  to  abandon  his 
plan  of  visiting  the  Karen  teacher's  village.  He 
returned  last  evening.  During  his  absence,  he 
met  several  people,  to  whom  he  spoke  as  he  was 
able.  Many  of  them  heard  with  attention,  and 
two  of  them  accompanied  him  on  his  return,  in 
order  to  gain  further  instruction.  They  profess  a 
readiness  to  receive  the  gospel,  and  wish  me  to 
visit  them  after  the  rains." 

"  Last  evening,  two  respectable  Karens,  whom 
Ko  Thah-byu  saw  in  his  late  tour,  called  for 
further  instruction.  They  live  a  day's  journey 
from  Tavoy.  They  profess  a  full  belief  of  the 
truth  of  the  gospel.  May  their  professions  prove 
to  be  sincere." 

In  July,  he  visited  another  Karen  settlement, 
Thalu,  it  is  believed,  where  the  writer  of  this 
Memoir  subsequently  found  several  converts.  Mr. 
Boardman,  noticing  his  return,  says,  "  Ko  Thah- 
byu,  the  Karen  Christian,  who  went  out  five  days 
ago  to  visit  a  Karen  village,  returned  to-day,  and 
3* 


30  MEMOIR    OF    KO   THAH-BYU. 

says  that  all  the  people  of  the  village  listened  to 
his  words." 

While  in  town,  he  was  busied  in  looking  up  his 
countrymen,  who,  for  various  purposes,  occasionally 
visit  the  city.  "  About  a  month  since,"  writes 
Mr.  Boardman,  in  August,  *'  a  very  interesting 
young  Karen  was  found  by  Ko  Thah-byu,  in  the 
niche  of  a  pagoda,  where  he  had  been  fasting  two 
days.  Knowing  only  the  religion  of  Gaudama, 
which  he  had  heard  from  the  Burmans,  he  had 
embraced  it  so  far  as  to  practise  this  austerity,  in 
the  hope  of  obtaining  a  great  reward  in  a  future 
state.  Our  Karen  Christian  explained  to  him 
the  folly  of  fasting,  as  practised  by  the  Burmans, 
and  invited  the  young  man  to  our  house,  where 
he  paid  a  very  serious  attention  to  Christian  in- 
struction. After  learning  the  way  of  the  Lord 
more  perfectly,  he  took  a  Christian  book  and 
returned  to  his  native  forest.  Our  prayers  ac- 
companied him.  We  all  remarked  something 
peculiarly  interesting  and  amiable  in  his  appear- 
ance. I  have  often  wished  to  have  him  live  with 
me,  in  hope  that  he  might  become  a  Christian, 
and  a  herald  of  the  gospel.  Yesterday,  this  young 
man  returned  to  us,  with  three  of  his  relations, 
to  receive  further  instruction.  After  conversingf 
with  me  for  some  time,  and  attending  Burman 
worship  with  us,  he  went  to  Ko  Thah-byu' s  apart- 
ment, where  I  heard  them  talking  of  the  gospel 
till  near  midnight ;  and  at  break  of  day,  this 
morning,  the  conversation  was  renewed.  This 
afternoon,  he  expressed  a  wish  to  live  with  me, 
in  order  to  learn  more  fully  about  the  true  God 
and  Savior.  On  my  inquiring  how  long  he  would 
be  willing  to  stay  for  this  purpose,  he  replied, 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  31 

'  Ten  or  twelve  years,  till  I  can  learn  fully  about 
God  and  Christ.  Many  of  the  Karens  will  also 
come.'  He  is  a  youth  of  good  understanding, 
quick  apprehension,  and  amiable  manners.  He 
says,  he  wishes  no  longer  to  worship  heaps  of 
brick,  but  to  know  and  serve  the  everliving  and 
true  God." 

He  felt  the  greatness  of  the  missionaries'  work^. 
and  the  inadequacy  of  the  means  in  operation  to 
carry  it  forward ;  and  hence  we  find  in  Mr.  Board- 
man's  journal  of  the  following  day,  "After  evening 
worship  in  Burman,  the  Karen  Christian,  having 
related  the  adventures  of  the  day,  said  to  me, 
*  There  is  one  subject  on  which  I  wish  to  await 
your  decision  :  I  wish  you  would  write  to  Amer- 
ica, for  more  teachers  to  be  sent  out.'  " 

About  the  end  of  September,  before  the  rains 
had  fully  closed,  he  started  again  to  visit  the  east- 
ern Karens.  He  went  to  the  village  of  Tshiekku, 
where  the  teacher,  or  prophet,  that  brought  the 
sacred  book*  to  Mr.  Boardman,  lived  with  his 
disciples. 

Moung  Sekkee,  the  Karen  who  was  his  compan- 
ion and  guide  over  the  mountains,  writes,  "  Teach- 
er Boardman  preached  to  me  the  words  of  God,  and 
I  understood  a  little,  but  not  fully  :  Ko  Thah-byu 
taught  me  in  Karen,  so  that  I  understood  perfectly; 
and  I  went  with  him  to  Tshiekku,  where  the  peo- 
ple listened,  and  built  a  zayat  for  the  teacher,  who 
soon  after  came  to  visit  them,  when  Moung  So 
and  Moung  Kya  asked  for  baptism."  The  two  men 
last  mentioned  have  been  valuable  assistants  many 
years;  and  the  latter  writes,  "When  I  heard,  at 

*  See  Appendix  —  ICaren  Prophets. 


32  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

first,  that  a  teacher,  with  a  Karen  man  and  his  wife, 
had  come  down  from  Maulmain,  I  asked  the  man's 
name,  and  was  told  Ko  Thah-byu.  Then  I  said, 
*  What  has  he  come  for  ? '  '  To  preach  the  words,' 
was  the  reply,  '  of  the  God  that  made  the  heavens 
and  the  earth.'  So  I  went  to  Tavoy  to  hear  ;  and 
after  Ko  Thah-byu  had  preached  to  me,  I  said  to 
him,  '  Brother,  truly  it  is  the  word  of  God  !  Come 
out  and  preach  at  Tshiekku.'  He  asked  permis- 
sion of  teacher  Boardman,  who  readily  consented, 
and  he  afterwards  came  out,  and  lived  with  the 
Bookho,*  going  out  from  his  house  to  visit  me 
and  others,  and  then  returning.  The  Bookho, 
however,  had  a  quarrel  with  his  wife,  and  would 
not  obey  the  word  of  God;  and  having  heard  of 
it,  I  went  to  Ko  Thah-byu,  and  said.  Brother, 
come  and  live  with  me ;   and  he  came." 

Mr.  Boardman,  noticing  his  return  from  this 
journey,  says,  "  Ko  Thah-byu  returned  from  the 
villages,  where  he  has  spent  the  last  ten  days  in 
making  known  the  gospel  to  his  countrymen. 
The  Karen  teacher,  or  rather  conjurer,  mentioned 
in  former  journals,  came  with  him,  and  appeared 
somewhat  tamed  and  in  his  right  mind.  He 
says  now  that  he  will  practise  no  more  joger's 
tricks  and  ceremonies,  but  will,  from  the  heart, 
worship  the  eternal  God  and  his  Son,  Jesus 
Christ." 

He  soon  after  made  a  second  visit,  and  returned 
to  town  again,  in  November,  with  ten  converts. 
Mr.  Boardman  says,  "  Ko  Thah-byu  returned  from 
the  villages,  with  ten  of  his  countrymen,  several 
of  whom    profess   to  have    become   converts   to 

*  The  teacher,  or  p'ophet,  referred  to  above. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  33 

Christ.  One  of  the  more  promising  is  the  chief- 
tain before  mentioned." 

About  a  rrjonth  afterwards,  he  made  a  third  tour 
to  the  same  settlement,  and  was  in  town  again 
in  January,  1829,  to  conduct  Mr.  Boardman  into 
the  jungles.  Mr.  Boardman  writes  at  this  time, 
/'Three  days  since,  two  Karens  arrived,  who  had 
travelled  three  days'  journey  in  expectation  of 
findinor  me  at  the  Karen  settlements :  but  not 
finding  me  there,  they  came  three  days'  journey 
farther,  to  see  me  at  my  own  house.  They  ap- 
pear very  desirous  of  receiving  Christian  instruc- 
tion ;  and  Ko  Thah-byu  is  unwearied  in  his  efforts 
to  impart  it.  One  of  them  came  from  the  prov- 
ince of  Mergui ;  and  he  states  that  the  Karens  in 
Tavoy,  Mergui,  and  Tenasserim,  have  all  heard 
of  us,  and  are  desirous  of  listening  to  our  instruc- 
tions." 

A  few  days  afterwards,  Mr.  Boardman,  accom- 
panied by  Ko  Thah-byu,  made  his  first  tour  among 
the  Karens.  After  Mr.  Boardman  had  preached 
in  Burman,  Ko  Thah-byu  was  in  the  habit  of 
interpreting  as  much  of  the  discourse  as  he  could 
remember  into  Karen ;  and  on  other  occasions,  as 
opportunity  offered,  he  preached  himself  Once, 
Mr.  Boardman  remarks,  "  After  breakfast,  Ko 
Thah-byu  discoursed  to  them  in  Karen,  an  hour 
or  two,  on  the  being  and  perfections  of  God ; " 
and  in  another  place,  "  One  man,  who  had  heard 
the  gospel  repeatedly  from  Ko  Thah-byu,  present- 
ed a  request  for  Christian  baptism." 

He  returned  to  town  with  Mr.  Boardman,  and 
was  busily  employed  there  in  searching  out  the 
Karens,  who  visited  the  city  on  business.  In 
March,  Mr.  Boardman  writes,  "  A  very  respecta- 


34  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAK-BYU. 

ble-looking  old  Karen,  said  to  be  the  chief  of  his 
nation  in  the  province  of  Mergui,  was  introduced 
by  Ko  Thah-byu.  He  states,  that  all  the  Karens 
in  Mergui  and  Tenasserim  have  heard  of  us ;  and 
his  great  desire  to  see  us  had  brought  him  thus  far 
from  home.  After  listening  to  the  gospel  a  while, 
he  took  his  leave,  saying  he  would  return  in  the 
evening." 

*'Ko  Thah-byu  has  concluded,  with  our  appro- 
bation, to  go  out  on  a  missionary  tour  of  several 
weeks.  It  is  surprising  how  magnanimous  a  nat- 
urally weak  man  becomes,  when  the  spirit  of 
Christ  and  the  love  of  souls  inspire  him.  This 
poor  Karen,  who,  to  say  the  least,  does  not  excel 
in  intellectual  endowment  or  human  learning,  is 
continually  devising  new  and  judicious  plans  of 
doing  good.  '  There  are,'  says  he,  '  the  districts 
of  Pai  and  Palau,  and  several  other  places  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  there  are  many  Ka- 
ren settlements  which  I  wish  to  visit.  There  are 
also  many  Karens  in  the  province  of  Mergui  ;  I 
wish  to  declare  the  gospel  to  them  all.  And  be- 
fore long,  I  want  to  go  across,  and  visit  the  Ka- 
rens in  Siam,  and  afterwards  to  visit  Bassein,  my 
native  place,  near  Rangoon.  Many  Karens  live 
there.'  Such  are,  in  general,  this  old  man's  plans. 
An  event  has  occurred  this  eveningr  which  seems 

•   1  •  •  

a  providential  intimation  of  present  duty.  The 
old  Karen  chief,  who  was  here  this  morning,  has 
desired  Ko  Thah-byu  to  accompany  him  to  Mer- 
gui in  his  boat,  promising  at  the  same  time  to  see 
that  he  shall  be  accompanied  from  one  Karen 
settlement  to  another,  till  he  shall  reach  this  prov- 
ince again.  Ko  Thah-byu  is  inclined  to  go,  and 
expects  to  be  absent  five  or  six  weeks." 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  35 

A  few  days  after,  Mr.  Boardman  adds,  "A  good 
number  of  Karens  are  now  with  us,  and  Ko  Thah- 
byu  is  engaged  day  and  night  in  reading  and  ex- 
plaining to  them  the  words  of  eternal  life.  It 
seems  as  though  'the  time  for  favoring  this  people 
had  come." 

Mah  A,  Ko  Thah-byu's  wife,  was  baptized  on 
the  twentieth  of  this  month,  March.  Mr.  Board- 
man,  recording  her  examination,  remarks,  '*  She 
was  formerly  very  ignorant  and  very  wicked ;  but, 
under  the  care  and  instruction  of  her  husband 
and  Mrs.  Boardman,  she  has,  within  the  last  few 
months,  become  a  very  hopeful  inquirer,  and  we 
are  encouraged  to  hope  that  she  is  now  truly 
converted.     She  requested  baptism  three  months 

Immediately  after  his  wife's  baptism,  Ko  Thah- 
byu  started  on  his  tour  to  the  south,  intending  to 
go  as  far  as  Mergui.  He  did  not,  however,  ac- 
company the  Karen  chief  previously  referred  to, 
as  "  the  chief  of  his  nation  in  the  province  of 
Mergui ; "  and,  as  this  is  the  last  notice  of  that 
chief,  it  may  be  here  remarked,  that  he  was  bap- 
tized by  me  in  the  year  1837.  He  has  been  a 
valuable  member  of  the  church  ;  and  his  descend- 
ants, who  are  almost  as  numerous  as  Jacob's  when 
he  went  down  into  Egypt,  have  very  generally  fol- 
lowed his  footsteps  into  the  baptismal  waters.  Ko 
Thah-byu  was  accompanied,  on  this  journey,  by 
Moung  Sekkee,  who  writes,  "We  went  to  Toung- 
byouk  and  Menthah  Creek,  where  we  preached  the 
word  of  God  to  Sau  Co-klay,  and  Sau  Yu-khayj 
and  then  we  went  to  Kyouk-toung,  where  we 
preached  to  Sau  Ke-krau  and  family."  These 
places  are  in  the  neighborhood  of  Toung-byouk, 


36  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

and  the  persons  mentioned  were  baptized,  several 
years  afterwards.  "  We  next,"  continues  Sekkee, 
"went  to  Pai  and  Palouk,  preaching  to  both  Pghos 
and  Sgaus;  but  no  one  listened.  At  Palouk,  Ko 
Thah-byu  was  taken  sick."  Here,  sick  among 
strangers  and  unbelievers,  it  might  be  supposed 
that  he  could  ill  spare  his  only  Christian  com- 
panion ;  but  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  was  more 
to  him  than  his  own  comfort.  Hence  Sekkee 
adds,  "  He  made  me  go  on  to  preach  at  Pyeek- 
hya,  and  leave  him  behind  at  Palouk."  His  health 
was  such  that  he  felt  wholly  unable  to  go  on  to 
Mergui ;  and  as  soon  as  he  was  well  enough  to 
travel  again,  they  reluctantly  turned  their  faces 
towards  Tavoy,  travelling  slowly,  and  preaching 
in  all  the  Karen  settlements  by  the  way,  through 
which  the  zigzag  path  led,  which  they  had  cho- 
sen. The  man  with  whom  Ko  Thah-byu  staid, 
while  sick  in  Palouk,  was  the  first  baptized  in 
that  settlement,  in  the  year  1838,  and  is  now  one 
of  the  pillars  of  the  church.  In  May,  Mr.  Board- 
man  writes,  "  Ko  Thah-byu  arrived,  having  spent 
the  last  seven  weeks  in  the  wilderness,  making 
known  the  gospel  to  his  countrymen.  His  ac- 
count of  his  tour  is  interesting  and  encouraging. 
We  are  concerned,  however,  to  find  that  he  is  in 
a  bad  state  of  health.  May  the  Lord  spare  him 
for  much  more  usefulness  among  his  benighted 
countrymen," 

The  succeeding  rains  he  spent  principally  teach- 
ing school  near  Tshiekku,  the  former  scene  of 
his  labors.  Moung  Kya  writes,  "  He  came  with 
his  wife,  and  both  lived  with  me ;  and  he  taught 
us. how  to  worship  God.  When  the  dry  season 
arrived,  he  said  to  me,  '  Brother,  it  is  very  pleas- 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  37 

ant  staying  with  thee,  but  my  wife  wishes  to  go 
and  stay  at  Tshiekku.'  So  he  placed  his  wife  at 
Tshiekku,  and  went  over  the  mountains  to  Thalu; 
and  after  his  departure,  his  wife  preached*  the 
word  of  God  at  Tshiekku,  till  hearing  that  he 
was  sick ;  when  we  took  her  to  where  he  was 
living." 

About  this  time,  the  rebellion  took  place  in  Ta- 
voy,  and  Mr.  Boardman  went  up  to  Maulmain. 
On  his  return  in  October,  he  remarks,  "  Ko 
Thah-byu,  it  seems,  has  come  to  town  twice 
since  our  absence ;  but  as  he  left  his  wife  and 
two  little  brothers  sick  in  the  jungle,  he  returned 
to  them  before  our  arrival.  They  have  passed 
through  various  hardships  and  perils  since  they 
left  us  at  the  wharf;  but  the  Lord  has  delivered 
them  out  of  them  all,  and  blessed  be  his  hoi) 
name." 

Two  weeks  afterwards,  Ko  Thah-byu  arrived  ; 
and  after  another  preaching  excursion  of  a  few 
days  in  the  jungle,  he  was  in  town  again,  when 
Mr.  Boardman  writes,  "  Moung  So,  the  baptized 
Karen  headman's  mother  having  died  lately,  he 
fears  that  the  other  relatives  of  the  deceased  will 
wish  to  perform  the  heathenish  customs  practised 
among  the  people  subsequent  to  the  funeral  ;  and 
to  counteract  the  bad  effects  of  such  practices, 
he  proposes  to  erect  a  preaching  zayat  near  the 
grave,  and  has  invited  Ko  Thah-byu  and  his  wife 
to  go  out  with  him,  and  *  hold  forth  the  word  of 

*  Mr.  Judson  remarks,  in  one  of  his  journals,  "  Though  I  began 
to  preach  the  gospel  as  soon  as  I  could  speak  intelligibly,  I  have 
thought  it  hardly  becoming  to  apply  the  term  preaching  to  my  imper- 
fect, desultory  observations  and  conversations."  —  Throughout  this 
book,  the  term  is  used  so  as  to  embrace  the  informal  ways  of  making 
known  the  gospel,  as  defined  above  ;  and  it  is  so  used  by  the  natives. 

4 


38  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

life,'  while  the  heathens  around  may  be  indulging 
in  their  wicked  customs.*  I  have  consented  to 
their  going,  and  they  are  to  leave  to-morrow." 

About  the  middle  of  December,  Mr.  Boardman, 
returning  from  village  preaching,  remarks,  "  I 
had  scarcely  seated  myself,  when  Ko  Thah-byu, 
and  two  of  the  baptized,  and  several  others  from 
Moung  So's  village,  arrived.  After  a  short  dis- 
course in  Burman,  prayers  and  thanks  were  of- 
fered to  God,  in  both  Burman  and  Karen.  Twelve 
Karens  were  present.  Of  these,  two  had  come 
to  solicit  baptism.  Two  were  females,  who  have 
been  listening  to  Mrs.  Boardman's  instructions 
for  a  year  past.  Three  were  headmen  of  villages, 
among  whom  was  our  hitherto  faithful  brother, 
Moung  So.*  He  and  Ko  Thah-byu  represent,  that, 
during  the  heathenish  ceremonies  occasioned  by 
the  recent  decease  of  his  mother,  Moung  So  and 
the  other  Christians  of  his  village,  having  built  a 
zayat  near  the  grave,  spent  the  time  in  listening 
to  Christian  instruction.  They  felt  no  reluctance, 
but  a  pleasure,  at  abandoning  those  heathenish 
practices  in  which  they  had  formerly  indulged." 

The  day  after  KoThah-byu's  arrival,  he  brought 
forward  the  subject  of  a  journey  into  Siam.  Mr. 
Boardman  says,  "  We  have  concluded  to  encour- 
age Ko  Thah-byu's  going  to  Siam.  The  journey 
across  will  occupy  six  or  seven  days.  He  expects 
to  leave  to-morrow,  and  to  be  absent  seven  or 
eight  weeks."  And  he  adds,  the  next  day,  "  Ko 
Thah-byu  has  long  wished  to  go  across  the  great 
mountains,  and  visit  the  Karens  in  Siam  ;  and 
having  lately  seen  some  of  them,   who  urgently 

*  See  Appendix  —  Karen  Funeral  Rites. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  39 

invited  him  over,  he  has  laid  the  subject  before 
us  for  our  consideration  and  decision."  And  on 
the  third  day,  he  gives  the  conclusion  :  "  Having 
solemnly  commended  the  Karens,  and  especially 
Ko  Thah-byu,  to  the  divine  blessing,  we  sent 
him  on  his  journey  this  morning.  I  gave  him 
an  affectionate  letter  of  introduction  and  recom- 
mendation, written  in  both  Burman  and  English, 
to  the  people  and  '  the  powers  that  be.'  " 

Moung  Sekkee,  who  accompanied  him,  writes, 
"  When  we  reached  Siam,  the  ruler  there  would 
not  allow  Ko  Thah-byu  to  proceed.  He  said, 
that,  were  we  to  go  on  to  the  next  town,  the  king 
would  call  him  down  to  Bankok,  because  he  was 
an  elder.  So  he  had  to  return,  but  I  was  permit- 
ted to  go  on ;  and  I  preached,  and  found  some 
that  listened." 

When  Mr.  Boardman  went  up  to  Maulmain  to 
take  charge  of  that  station,  in  April,  1830,  Ko 
Thah-byu  accompanied  him ;  and  soon  after  his 
arrival,  in  company  with  Ko  Myat-kyau,  a  Taling 
assistant,  he  left  town  to  preach  in  the  Karen 
jungles,  as  he  had  done  at  Tavoy.  In  July,  Mr. 
Boardman  writes,  "A  month  ago,  this  same  per- 
son, who  speaks  Karen  tolerably  well,  set  off  in 
company  with  Ko  Thah-byu  to  visit  the  Karen 
settlements  up  the  river.  I  gave  them  a  large 
supply  of  books  and  tracts  for  distribution.  Four 
days  ago,  they  returned  delighted  with  their  tour ; 
the  Karens  had  received  them  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  those  in  Tavoy  had  previously  received 
Ko  Thah-byu.  Many  of  them  listened  with  the 
most  encouraging  attention  to  the  message  of 
redeeming  love.  Books  were  most  eagerly  re- 
ceived both  by  those  who  could   read  and  those 


40 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


who  could  not;  'For'  said  they,  'we  will  ask 
others  to  read  them  to  us.'  Long  before  the 
close  of  their  tour,  their  supply  of  books  failed, 
ind  Ko  Myat-kyau  was  compelled  to  give  away 
the  books  from  his  own  private  satchel.  On  their 
return,  five  Karens  accompanied  them  to  town, 
four  of  whom  profess  to  be  decided  in  embracing 
the  gospel,  and  have  applied  for  baptism;  but 
though  I  believe  I  should  get  a  unanimous  vote 
in  their  favor  from  the  whole  native  church,  I 
feel  inclined  to  delay  their  baptism  for  further 
proofs  of  sincerity  and  steadfastness." 

When  Mr.  Boardman  returned  to  Tavoy,  in 
November,  he  was  again  accompanied  by^Ko 
Thah-byu,  who,  on  their  arrival,  immediately  de- 
parted for  the  Karen  settlements  to  announce 
their  return.  Mr.  Boardman,  in  his  last  journal, 
under  date  of  December  16,  writes,  "  In  the  af- 
ternoon, Ko  Thah-byu  arrived,  with  about  forty 
in  his  train,  all  of  whom,  he  said,  had  come  to 
receive  baptism.  It  appeared,  that  there  were 
in  the  company  all  the  disciples,  except  the  two 
who  had  previously  visited  us ;  so  that  we  have 
now  met  with  each  one  of  the  thirteen  Karen  dis- 
ciples, and  a  large  number  of  others,  who  wish  to 
be  baptized.  How  pleasing  is  our  interview ! 
But  I  am  too  feeble  to  describe  it." 


Cleaning  Cotton. 


\ 


MEMOIR    OF    RO    THAH-BYU.  41 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Ko  Thah-hyu's  successful  Labors.  —  Style  of  Preaching.  — 
Scene  of  his  Successes.  —  Shades  in  his  Character.  — 
Ignorance.  —  Love  of  Knowledge.  —  Passion.  —  Habits 
of  Prayer. 

From  the  time  that  Mr.  Boardman  became 
unable  to  labor,  to  more  than  a  year  after  the 
writer  of  this  memoir  joined  the  mission,  with  the 
very  important  exception  of  Mrs.  Boardman's  in- 
valuable and  indefatigable  labors  with  the  people 
when  they  visited  town,  the  whole  watch  care  of 
the  church,  and  the  instruction  of  the  inquirers, 
devolved  on  Ko  Thah-byu  ;  and  the  numbers  that 
were  baptized  within  this  period  aiford  the  best 
comment  on  his  labors. 

During  the  rains  of  1831,  he  taught  a  school, 
as  he  had  done  the  previous  year,  near  Tshiekku, 
where  the  principal  part  of  the  Christians  resided ; 
and  his  diligence  in  this  department  of  labor  was 
as  conspicuous  as  in  every  other  in  which  he 
engaged.  Some  of  his  pupils,  at  the  close  of  the 
school,  could  repeat  verbatim  whole  Burman  tracts. 

Early  in  1832,  accompanied  by  Ko  Thah-byu, 
I  made  an  exploring  tour  through  the  province. 
We  stopped  about  noon  the  first  day  at  Shen 
Mouktee,  an  old  walled  town,  but  reduced  to  an 
inconsiderable  village.  This  town  is  remarkable 
for  containing  the  most  famous  idol  in  the  prov- 
ince, it  having  been  found  (such  is  the  received 
tradition)  floating  up  the  river  on  a  peepul  log, 
which  stopped  opposite  the  town  ;  and  the  little 
brass  idol,  from  being  a  few  inches  high,  has  mi- 
4* 


42  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

raculously  grown  to  the  full  size  of  a  man  beneath 
the  spreading  peepul,  that  sprung  from  the  log  on 
which  it  was  found.      Sometimes,  when   war  or 
pestilence  was  approaching,  it  has  been  known  to 
weep  and  moan.     These,  with  other  equally  vera- 
cious legends,  draw  to  its  shrine  all  the  piety  of 
the  province;   and    once  a  year    the   inhabitants 
of  Tavoy  have  a/e7e  for  several  days,  when  nearly 
the  whole  population  make  a  pilgrimage  to  this 
most  holy  place.     The  occasion  had  passed,  but 
some  of  the  most  devout  still  lingered  there  ;   and 
while  the  Burman  assistant  and  myself  went  round 
to  some  neighboring  villages,  distributing  tracts, 
I  left  the  old  man  to  rest  himself  in  one  of  the 
zayats,  supposing  that,  as  natives  usually  do,  he 
would  lie  down  to  sleep.     I  was  surprised,  how- 
ever, on  my  return,  to  find  him  surrounded  by  a 
large   congregation  of  Burmans,  whose  attention 
seemed  to  be  riveted  on  his  flashing  eyes,  less, 
apparently,  from  love,  than  from  an  indescribable 
power,  that  may  best  be  compared  to  the  fascinat- 
ing influence  of  the  serpent  over  an  unconscious 
brood  of  chickens.     The  first  sentence  I  heard 
on    coming   up,    was,  "  Your   god   was    a   black 
kula."*     The   words   were  uttered  with  such   a 
peculiar  expression  of  countenance,  that  the  events 
of  a  dozen  years  have  done  nothing  to  efface  the 
impression  from   my  memory.     "  If  ever   a  man 
hated  idolatry,"  observed  one  of  the  brethren,  in 
conversation,  '« Ko  Thah-byu    did."     Now,  were 
I  able  to  throw  on  canvass  Ko  Thah-byu's  coun- 
tenance at  that  moment,  as  it  exists  in  the  picture 
gallery  of  my  mind,  every  one  that  looked  on  it 

*  That  is,  "  a  black  foreigner." 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  43 

would   go   away  and  say,  *'  If  ever  a  man  hated 
idolatry,  Ko  Thah-byu  did." 

On    the  evening  of  the  fourth  day,  we   were, 
for   the  first   time,  in  the  vicinity  of  Karens   at 
Ka-nyen,    and,   though   exceedingly    fatigued,  he 
requested  permission  to  go  and  look  up  his  coun- 
trymen.    In  like  manner,  when  we  came  to  Pai, 
the  next  stage,  he  could  not  be  easy  to  rest  in 
the  Burman  village  over  the   Sabbath,  but  must 
go  up  the  river  to  preach  to  the  Karens.     So  it 
was  through  the  whole  journey.     If  Karens  were 
accessible,   no  fatigue,  no  obstacles,  would  pre- 
vent his  seeking  them  out ;  but  if  not,  he  would 
attack  the  Burmans  and  their  idolatry  most  un- 
mercifully,  utterly  heedless  of  the  ridicule  that 
they  would  sometimes    heap  upon  him  for  being 
an  ignorant  Karen.     At  Palau,  near  the  southern 
boundary  of  our  journey,  he  was  left  a  day  or  two 
to  rest,  on  account  of  his  infirmities,  while  I  visited 
and  returned  from  Pa-la ;  but  it  appeared,  on  our 
return,  that  he  had  spent  nearly  the  whole  of  both 
days  in  the  kyoung,  talking  with  the  priests  and 
all  that  came  to  visit  them.     In  short,  Ko  Thah- 
byu  had  a  passion  for  preaching ;  and  it  was  his 
ruling  passion.     On  one  occasion,  when  out  in  a 
boat  with  one  of  the   missionaries  at  Maulmain, 
he  was  in  evident  danger  of  losing  his  life ;  when 
he  cried  out,  not  for  God  to  have  mercy  on  his 
soul,  as  might  have  been  expected,  (that  he  felt 
was  safe,)  but,  "  I  shall  be  drowned,  and  never 
more  preach  the  word  of  God  to  the  Karens." 

Mr.  Boardman  has  recorded  the  following  speci- 
men of  his  preaching  :  "  Ko  Thah-byu  had  been 
describing  the  folly  and  hurtfulness  of  worldly 
things  and  worldly  tempers,  and  proceeded  to  say, 


44  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

*  A  worldly  man  is  never  satisfied  with  what  he 
possesses.  Let  me  have  more  houses,  more  lands, 
more  buffaloes,  more  slaves,  more  clothes,  more 
wives,  more  children  and  grandchildren,  more 
gold  and  silver,  more  paddy  and  rice,  more  boats 
and  vessels;  let  me  be  a  rich  man.  This  is  his 
language.  He  thinks  of  nothing  so  much  as  of 
amassing  worldly  goods.  Of  God  and  religion  he 
is  quite  unmindful.  But  watch  that  man.  On  a 
sudden,  his  breath  departs,  and  he  finds  himself 
deprived  of  all  he  possessed  and  valued  so  much. 
He  looks  around,  and  sees  none  of  his  former  pos- 
sessions. Astonished,  he  exclaims,  "Where  are 
my  slaves?  Where  are  my  buffaloes?  I  cannot 
find  one  of  them.  Where  are  my  houses  and  my 
chests  of  money  ?  What  has  become  of  all  my 
rice  and  paddy  that  I  laid  up  in  store?  Where 
are  all  the  fine  clothes,  that  cost  me  so  much? 
I  can  find  none  of  them.  Who  has  taken  them  ? 
And  where  are  my  wives  and  my  children  ?  Ah, 
they  are  all  missing.  I  can  find  none  of  them. 
I  am  lonely  and  poor,  indeed.  I  have  nothing ! 
But  what  is  this?"'  The  preacher  here  enters 
upon  a  description  of  the  sufferings  of  the  soul 
that  is  lost ;  after  which,  he  represents  the  rich 
man  as  taking  up  this  lamentation :  *  O,  what  a 
fool  have  I  been!  I  neglected  God,  the  only  Sa- 
vior, and  sought  only  worldly  goods  while  on 
earth,  and  now  I  am  undone.'  While  the  old 
man  was  preaching  in  this  strain,  every  eye  was 
fixed  on  him,  and  every  ear  was  attentive.  Soon 
after,  he  pursued  the  following  strain  :  '  All  in 
this  world  is  misery.  Sickness  and  pain,  fear 
and  anxiety,  wars  and  slaughter,  old  age  and 
death,    abound   on   every   hand.      But   hearken ! 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  45 

God  speaks  from  on  high,  ''  Children,  why  take  ye 
delight,  and  seek  happiness,  in  that  low  village  of 
mortality,  that  thicket  of  briers  and  thorns  1  Look 
up  to  me ;  I  will  deliver  you,  and  give  you  rest 
where  you  shall  be  forever  blessed  and  happy."  ' " 

On  reaching  the  eastern  Karen  settlements, 
which  had  been  the  principal  scene  of  his  labors, 
and,  with  the  exception  of  a  single  visit  of  two  or 
three  days  from  Mr.  Boardman,  of  his  labors  alone, 
the  writer  penned  his  impressions  in  the  following 
language :  — 

*'  I  cry  no  longer  the  horrors  of  heathenism  ! 
but  '  the  blessings  of  missions : '  I  date  no  longer 
from  a  heathen  land.  Heathenism  has  fled  these 
banks.  I  eat  the  rice,  and  yams,  and  fruit,  culti- 
vated by  Christian  hands ;  look  on  the  fields  of 
Christians,  and  see  no  dwellings,  but  those  inhab- 
ited by  Christian  families.  I  am  seated  in  the 
midst  of  a  Christian  village,  surrounded  by  a  peo- 
ple that  love  as  Christians,  converse  as  Chris- 
tians, act  like  Christians,  and  look  like  Christians. 
If  it  be  worth  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  to  see 
the  Shenandoah  run  through  the  Blue  Ridge, 
surely  a  voyage  around  the  globe  would  be  amply 
repaid  by  a  Sabbath  spent  in  this  valley."  * 

The  succeeding  rains  of  1832  he  spent  preach- 
ing and  teaching  school  at  Thalu,  the  Christian 

*  Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  seen  the  "  Histo.-y  of  American 
Missions,"  and  learned,  for  the  first  time,  that  this  description  "  has 
been  censured  as  more  glowing  than  true."  The  only  persons  able  to 
censure  understandingly,  are  those  who  have  followed  me  over  the 
same  ground  ;  and,  on  subjecting  it  to  their  criticism,  I  am  authorized 
to  say,  that  the  only  objectionable  word  is  land,  in  the  clause,  "I  date 
no  longer  from  a  heathen  land."  "  Land,''  it  was  remarked,  "  is  too 
extensive  in  its  application  ;  some  word  like  station  would  be  better." 
The  criticism  is  just,  but  more  was  never  intended  by  the  word  than 
the  land  on  which  I  was  located.  Were  I  describing  the  resalts  of 
my  own  labors,  the  pen  would  at  once  be  drawn  through  the  whole 
passage ;  but  it  has  reference  solely  to  the  labors  of  those  that  pre- 
ceded me ;  and  the  man  that  could,  then  or  now,  approach  a  large 


46  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

settlement  west  of  the  mountains ;  and,  at  their 
close,  I  went  out  and  baptized  a  goodly  number 
of  his  scholars  and  others,  that  he  had  brought 
under  the  influence  of  the  truth. 

There  is,  however,  a  shade  to  the  picture. 
Nothing  can  be  more  true  than  that  Ko  Thah-byu 
was  a  man  "  possessed  of  very  ordinary  abilities." 
Add  to  this,  he  was  far  advanced  in  life  before  he 
began  to  study  :^  and  it  will  be  readily  believed 
that  the  great  body  of  the  church  members, 
especially  the  younger  portion,  soon  knew  more 
than  their  teacher,  and  hence  his  labors  with  them 
became  less  and  less  acceptable.  He  was  adapted 
in  a  most  special  manner  for  a  pioneer;  and  it 
would  be  singular,  indeed,  did  we  not  believe  in 
an  overruling  Providence,  that,  without  any  plans 
either  on  his  own  part  or  on  that  of  the  missiona 
ries,  he  became  in  succession  the  first  Karen 
preacher  to  his  countrymen  in  the  districts  of  Ta- 
voy,  Maulmain,  Rangoon,  and  Arracan,  Still  it 
ought  to  be  recorded,  to  the  credit  of  his  intellect- 
ual character,  that  he  knew  enough  to  value  the 
knowledge  which  he  had  not  acquired  himself — no 
very  common  attainment,  by  the  way,  in  Chris- 
tian lands. 

While  in  Tavoy  he  had  a  son ;  and  when  asked 
what  he  was  going  to  call  him,  his  reply  was  not, 
''  Golden  Flower,"  "  Yellow  Bird,"  "  Silver  Loins," 
or  some  other  name  in  like  taste,  as  was  expected, 
but  Joseph  —  the  first  Christian  name  conferred  by 

Christian  settlement  of  Karens,  by  a  journey  of  three  or  four  weeks 
through  the  unconverted  heathen,  and  feel  less  or  see  less,  must  have 
a  heart  dead  to  Christian  feeling,  and  eyes  blind  to  moral  beauty. 

"  Who  has  no  inward  beauty,  none  perceives, 
Though  all  around  is  beautiful. 
The  rill  is  tuneless  to  bis  ear,  who  feels 
No  harmony  within." 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  47 

native  parents  in  this  country.  "  From  the  birth 
of  this  child,"  writes  one  of  the  brethren  that  was 
associated  with  Ko  Thah-byu  in  Rangoon,  *'  he 
often  spoke  of  his  desire  that  he  might  live  to  be- 
come a  preacher  to  the  Karens.  He  was  very 
anxious  that  he  should  early  be  taught  to  read, 
not  only  Burmese  and  Karen,  but,  as  soon  as  prac- 
ticable, English,  in  order  that  he  might  get  a  bet- 
ter knowledge  of  things  than  he  could  through 
the  two  former  languages.  Considering  his  own 
ignorance,  the  desire  that  his  son,  and  two  other 
lads,  of  whom  he  was  the  guardian,  should  be 
better  instructed  than  the  common  youth  of  the 
country,  was  remarkable.  One  great  hinderance 
to  the  spread  of  light  in  all  heathen  countries,  is 
the  extreme  apathy  of  the  people  in  regard  to  liter- 
ary and  scientific  knowledge,  as  well  as  religious; 
and  though  he  could  not  of  course  duly  appreciate 
tiie  value  of  either,  he  had  discernment  enough  to 
perceive  that  the  teachers  and  other  foreigners, 
even  those  who  were  strangers  to  the  influence  of 
religion  upon  their  own  hearts,  were  incomparably 
wiser  than  his  own  people,  in  regard  to  things  per- 
taining to  this  life.  This  was  much  more  than 
the  mass  of  either  Burmans  or  Karens  are  willing 
practically  to  acknowledge.  It  is  true,  they  often 
express  astonishment  at  the  superior  skill  of  for- 
eigners in  many  species  of  mechanism,  but  without 
manifesting  the  least  desire  to  become  acquainted 
with  that  skill." 

Another  sombre  touch,  and  I  pass  on.  "  His 
natural  temper  was  diabolical ;  "  and,  "  under  the 
influence  of  the  gospel,  he  would,  at  times,  exhibit 
the  relics  of  such  a  temper."  His  frailties,  however, 
should  be  compared,  not  with  those  of  one  who 


48 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


was  born  under  Christian  influences,  and  has  been 
subjected  to  the  restraints  of  civilized  society, 
but  with  those  of  a  youth  and  manhood  spent  in 
a  manner  that  makes  me  shudder  to  think  of,  and 
unwilling  to  repeat. 

Often,  under  the  influence  of  passion,  he  said 
things  that  would  be  quite  inexcusable  in  others ; 
but  I  shall  not  blot  my  pages  with  the  painful  de- 
tails. The  recording  angel  has  torn  out  the  page 
on  which  they  were  registered,  and  trampled  it 
beneath  his  feet.  I  am  not  the  man  to  gather  up 
the  fragments.  He  must  have  wiry  nerves,  and 
an  insensible  heart,  that  could  deliberately  record 
the  failings  of  a  man,  who  "  was  in  the  habit  of 
spending  several  hours  dajly  in  prayer  to  God." 

"  It  is  the  sole  prerogative  of  heaven 
Not  to  be  tainted  with  the  smallest  error. 
But  that  immunity  wa-B  never  given 
To  earth." 


Assaying  Silver. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  49 


CHAPTER    V. 

Returns  to  Maulmain. —  Goes  to  Rangoon. —  Visits  the 
Karens.  —  Second  Tour.  —  Spends  the  Rains  at  Maubee- 
—  Great  Success.  —  Burman  Persecution.  —  Flees  to 
Pegu. 

Early  in  the  year  1833,  Ko  Thah-byu  left  Ta- 
voy  for  Maulmain,  where  we  find  him  immediately 
employed  in  preaching  to  his  countrymen.  Mr. 
Bennett  writes,  in  February,  "  Several  old,  venera- 
ble, gray-headed  Karens  are  here,  from  the  wilder- 
ness, to  whom  Ko  Thah-byu,  who  has  just  returned 
from  Tavoy,  has  been  communicating  the  precious 
truths  of  the  gospel.  Their  sands  are  almost  run, 
and  they  have  spent  their  lives  in  ignorance  of  the 
one  living  and  true  God ;  possibly,  at  the  eleventh 
hour  of  their  existence,  they  may  be  brought  into 
the  precious  fold  of  the  Redeemer.  An  old,  gray- 
headed  woman,  a  relative  of  his  wife,  has  taken 
refuge  with  him  from  the  persecuting  spirit  of 
her  other  relatives,  who  seem  to  feel  that  the  old 
woman  is  only  a  trouble  to  them,  she  being  near 
eighty  years  of  age,  and  unable  to  do  any  thing 
for  her  own  support.  Thus  too  many  are  treated 
in  this  land  of  cruelty  and  idolatry.  The  old 
woman  listens  to  the  good  news  of  salvation,  and 
seems  to  feel  a  veneration  for  the  truth.  There  is 
some  reason  to  hope  that  she  will  yet  become  one 
of  the  few  who  profess  to  follow  Jesus,  in  the  hope 
of  a  glorious  resurrection." 

He  did  not,  however,  remain  long  in  Maul- 
main "  In  the  spring  of  1833,"  writes  Mr.  Ben- 
5 


50  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

nett,  •'  he  accompanied  me  to  Rangoon.  At  that 
time,  the  Karens  of  Burmah  pro^ej  had  never 
heard  the  gospel ;  as  no  teachers,  either  native 
or  foreign,  had  ever  visited  them.  They  had  no 
knowledge  that  their  language  had  been  reduced 
to  writing,  and  a  tract  printed  in  it.  Neither  had 
they  heard  that  any  of  their  countrymen  had  em- 
braced the  religion  of  the  Savior." 

*'  Two  days  after  his  arrival  in  Rangoon,  he 
leaves  his  family  in  the  care  of  the  teacher,  and, 
with  a  Burman  disciple  for  a  guide,  he  is  found 
making  his  way  to  the  Karen  villages  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Rangoon.  His  labors,  his  appeals,  his  earn- 
estness, and  his  desire  for  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  his  countrymen,  were  not  in  vain.  Very  soon 
fruit  began  to  appear,  and  inquirers  multiplied." 

In  his  journal,  Mr.  Bennett  writes,  in  April, 
"Ko  Thah-byu,  (the  Karen  apostle,)  who  came 
round  with  us  in  order  to  search  out  his  country- 
men, who  are  scattered  in  the  wilderness  about 
us,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  them,  this  morning 
took  his  staff  in  his  hand,  accompanied  by  a  Bur- 
man  disciple,  and  departed,  leaving  his  wife  and 
child  with  us.  May  the  spirit  and  zeal  of  a  Paul 
oe  with  him,  and  abundant  success  attend  his 
labors." 

His  return  is  noticed  in  May.  ''Ko  Thah-byu 
came  this  evening,  having  visited  more  than  seven 
villages,  and  given  a  hundred  and  fifty  tracts.  He 
reports  rather  encouragingly.  He  has  been  among 
his  countrymen,  the  Karens.  At  first,  they  were 
not  disposed  to  listen  to  his  message,  but  quietly 
telling  them  by  degrees  his  object  in  visiting  them, 
they  listened.  They  said,  if  the  new  language  for 
them  was  good,  and  there  was  no  deception  in  it, 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  51 

they  would  attend  to  it  by  and  by.  They  are  very 
much  afraid  of  the  government." 

A  few  days  afterwards,  Mr.  Bennett  remarks, 
"  Ko  Thah-byu  left  us  to-day  for  another  tour 
among  his  countrymen.  We  earnestly  pray  that 
his  nation  may  give  him  audience,  and  receive  the 
words  of  eternal  life." 

His  return  at  the  close  of  the  month  is  thus  re- 
corded :  "  Ko  Thah-byu,  who  has  been  absent 
among  the  Karens  more  than  a  month,  arrived  to- 
day, with  a  nephew  of  his,  a  very  respectable  look- 
ing young  man.  One  of  the  disciples,  who  lives 
at  a  distance,  brought  with  him  to-day  the  first 
Karen  inquirer  I  have  seen  here.  Ko  Thah-byu 
had  not  before  seen  him.  He  lives  only  a  few 
miles  from  this  place,  and  appeared  very  well. 
He  seemed  anxious  to  know  the  truth.  Though 
he  understands  Burmese  pretty  well,  Ko  Thah-byu 
had  the  pleasure  to  talk  in  his  own  language,  and 
tell  of  the  wonders  of  redeeming  love.  In  the 
tour  which  he  has  just  completed,  he  has  distrib- 
uted two  hundred  tracts,  and  carried  the  news  of 
a  Savior  from  sin  to  some  who  were  before  igno- 
rant. In  order  to  accomplish  this,  he  has  had  to 
wade  streams  to  his  armpits,  and  sometimes 
through  mud  and  water,  as  the  rains  fill  the  hollows. 
He  relates  an  interesting  account  of  his  tour,  and 
feels  confident  of  ultimate  success.  He  meets  with 
much  opposition  from  those  of  his  countrymen  who 
are  Boodhists ;  but  those  who  are  not  give  generally 
an  attentive  ear,  as  far  as  they  dare,  being  very 
fearful  of  offending  the  Burmese  government. 
There  are  several  in  the  vicinity  of  a  village  where 
his  brother  is  Saukai,  or  governor,  who  wish  to 
learn  to  read ;  and  he  thinks,  if  we  should  approve 


52  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-EYU. 

of  it,  of  spending  a  month  in  endeavoring  to  teach 
them  Karen.  He  feels  very  sanguine  that  if  there 
v^^ere  three  converts,  the  work  would  spread  rapid- 
ly. The  work  is  the  Lord's,  and  his  cause  will 
prosper." 

In  July,  the  visit  of  another  Karen  inquirer  to 
Mr.  Bennett  is  thus  recorded :  "  Another  Karen 
inquirer  called  to-day.  He  is  from  the  village  of 
Thah-meing.  Ko  Thah-byu  had  given  him  a  tract, 
on  one  of  his  excursions,  which  he  had  read,  and, 
liking  the  contents,  called  to  get  more  light  on  the 
way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ.  The  roads  are 
so  bad  that  it  is  nearly  impossible  for  any  to  get 
into  town." 

Ten  days  afterwards,  he  left  Rangoon  to  spend 
the  rains  in  Maubee.  "  Ko  Thah-byu  has  left  to- 
day,' says  Mr.  Bennett,  *'  for  the  Karen  wilds, 
with  three  hundred  more  tracts.  As  the  rains 
render  itinerating  nearly  impracticable,  he  is  per- 
mitted, on  this  tour,  to  attend  to  the  teaching  of  a 
few  of  his  countrymen  in  Maubee,  who,  he  says, 
are  very  anxious  to  learn  Karen." 

At  the  close  of  the  rains  in  October,  Mr.  Ben- 
nett gives  an  animated  view  of  the  fruits  of  Ko 
Thah-byu's  labors,  that  then  began  to  appear,  in 
the  two  following  letters  to  Mr.  Judson  :  — 

"R.ANGOON,  October  as,  1833. 
**  Dear  brother  Judson  : 

"  We  are  in  distress,  and  send  to  you 
for  relief  For  the  last  several  days,  our  house, 
and  the  small  house  of  Ko  Thah-byu,  ten  cubits 
square,  have  been  thronged.  As  Ko  Thah-byu 
has  not  been  able  to  go  out  as  soon  as  he  had  in- 
lended,  in  consequence  of  his  wife's  illness,  the 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  53 

Karens  are  thronging  us  from  Dalla,  Leing,  Mau- 
bee,  Kya-dan,  and  many  places  I  have  not  heard 
named,  —  men,  women,  and  children,  and  all  anx- 
iously inquiring  about  the  religion  of  Jesus.  One 
Saukai  has  formally  requested  baptism  of  me  and 
the  church,  and  several  others  have  of  Ko  Thah-a, 
and  Ko  Thah-byu.  They  are  all  anxious  for 
schools,  and  offer  to  build  zayats  for  preaching,  or 
schools,  if  some  one  will  come  and  teach  them. 
There  are  very  many  who  already  keep  the  Lord's 
day,  read  our  tracts,  and  endeavor  to  instruct  one 
another  the  best  they  can.  They  daily  read  the 
tracts,  and  all  get  together  in  their  families,  and 
sing,  and  pray  to  the  God  who  rules  in  heaven. 
The  heads  of  families  not  only  do  this  themselves, 
but  they  teach  their  children.  They  declare  they 
have  left  off  drinking  spirit,  and,  as  far  as  they 
understand,  endeavor  to  practise  according  to  the 
requirements  of  the  Scriptures. 

"  What  shall  we  do?  Ko  Thah-byu  is  only  one, 
among  a  thousand.  He  cannot  preach  the  gospel, 
and  teach  these  people  to  '  read  in  their  own  lan- 
guage' the  precious  truths  of  God's  word,  at  the 
same  time.  We  want  one  man  to  go  to  Bassein ; 
another  to  go  up  to  Prome,  and  along  the  river  ; 
another  to  Maubee,  and  vicinity,  towards  old  Pegu 
—  all  these  to  preach  the  gospel ;  and  we  certainly 
need  as  many  more  for  schoolmasters.  Can  you 
send  us  any  assistance  1  If  so,  do ;  for  Christ  and 
his  cause  require  it.  I  hope  Ko  Thah-byu  will  be 
able  soon  to  go  out,  and  do  something;  but  he 
cannot  do  all  alone.  There  surely  is  the  sound 
of  rain ;  and  if  I  might  not  subject  myself  to  the 
imputation  of  enthusiastic,  I  would  say  '  of  much 
rain.'  O,  could  we  go  among  these  people,  as 
5* 


54  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

freely  and  easily  as  in  the  provinces,  I  have  no 
doubt  hundreds  would  be  added  to  the  Lord. 

"I  think  the  Karens  here  superior  to  those  in 
the  provinces,  so  far  as  I  have  seen ;  and,  could 
they  be  collected  together,  and  civilized,  and 
Christianized,  they  would  be  a  lovely  nation. 
When  will  this  happy  time  arrive?  Hasten  it, 
Lord,  in  thine  own  good  time,  for  Jesus'  sake. 
"  I  am  yours  affectionately." 

"  Rangoon,  JVov.  11,  1833. 
**  Dear  brother  Judson  : 

"  I  have  only  a  few  moments  to  write, 
being  full  of  business,  and  having  only  a  few  min- 
utes before  the  vessel  leaves.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
four  of  the  Karens  were,  yesterday,  baptized,  and 
are  the  first  fruits  of  the  plentiful  Karen  harvest, 
which  these  ripening  fields  present  to  our  view. 
We  want  help,  we  want  faith,  we  want  patience, 
and  perseverance ;  we  want  a  mind,  (to  say  all  in  a 
word,)  the  same  mind  which  was  found  in  our 
dear  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.  Pray  for  us, 
and  for  the  Karens  who  are  looking  up  to  us  for 
the  bread  of  life,  their  eyes  brightening  as  they 
hear  of  Jesus  and  the  way  to  heaven.  There  have 
but  very  few,  as  yet,  called  on  us,  something  like 
fifty  or  sixty ;  but  they  all  say,  *  In  a  few  weeks, 
(when  we  have  gathered  in  our  rice,)  we  will 
come,  with  our  wives  and  children,  all  of  whom 
wish  to  hear  the  gospel.  Our  neighbors,  too,  will, 
many  of  them,  come.'  And  some  of  those  who 
say  thus,  also  add,  '  When  we  come,  we  shall  ask 
for  baptism  ! '  Those  who  have  just  been  here 
(and  it  is  only  a  few  hours  since  a  party  of  twelve 
left)  we  have  examined.     Some  of  them  appear  to 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  55 

be  true  disciples  of  Jesus,  while  one  or  two  were 
regular  atheists.  One  man,  especially,  says  he 
does  not  believe  there  is  any  God^  or  heaven,  or 
hell. 

-'  We  have  good  reason  to  believe  the  work  is 
genuine  among  the  Karens,  if  opposition  is  a  test ; 
for  the  devil  is  sorely  disturbed,  and  mustering  his 
forces.  What  the  issue  of  the  campaign  will  be 
we  cannot  say ;  but  those  who  were  yesterday  bap- 
tized, said,  if  the  Woon-gee  *  should  issue  an 
order  to  cut  off  their  heads,  then  let  him  cut  them 
off:  they  believed  in  Jesus;  and  if  they  should  be 
killed,  they  would  go  where  Jesus  is,  and  be  hap- 
py. I  could  relate  many  interesting  anecdotes  of 
these  simple  sons  of  the  jungle,  had  I  time.  Suf- 
fice it  to  say,  one  very  respectable  man,  a  Saukai, 
says  he  formerly  was  a  great  drunkard ;  but,  for 
the  last  six  months,  he  has  not  drank  a  drop,  not 
since  he  first  heard  of  Jesus  from  Ko  Thah-byu. 
He  says  he  believes,  and  will  come,  by  and  by, 
and  be  baptized.  He  is  said  to  be  a  very  influen- 
tial man.  They  all  talk  more  or  less  Burmese, 
and  our  examinations  are  in  that  language,  which 
is  far  better  than  to  draw  it  through  an  interpreter. 
We  have  proposed  to  some  of  the  young  men  (who 
also  understand  Burmese)  to  go  around  to  Mani- 
la main,  and  learn  Karen,  and  return  and  teach 
^their  countrymen  !  I  hope,  in  a  few  months,  some 
yvill  go.  They  would  now,  if  their  rice  were  gath- 
ered. 1  hope  they  will  go;  and,  if  so,  what  they 
will  see,  and  hear,  and  learn,  I  do  hope  will  do 
more  to  keep  their  countrymen  from  believing  the 
Burmese,  than  years  of  our  labor.     There  were 

*  A  Burman  magistrate.  —  EI 


56  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

thirty  present  at  worship,  yesterday  morning ;  after 
which,  the  four  Karens  were  examined  and  re- 
ceived. Afterwards,  Ko  Thah-a  accompanied 
them  to  the  king's  tanks,  and  baptized  them." 

Extracts  from  Mr.  Bennett's  journal  will  be 
continued,  in  which  the  labors  and  successes  of 
Ko  Thah-byu  are  recorded  so  fully  and  graphi- 
cally, that  little  more  is  left  to  be  desired.  Un- 
der various  dates  in  October  and  November,  he 
writes,  "  A  Karen  from  Maubee  called,  who  said 
he  had  been  in  town  three  days,  and  had  not 
before  found  our  house.  He  said  he  would  call 
again,  and  staid  but  a  short  time.  '. 

*'  The  Karen  mentioned  yesterday  called  with  . 
one  of  his  neighbors ;  both  of  whom  appeared  ex-  1 
treraely  well.  The  one  who  has  not  been  here 
before,  says  that  he  has  several  of  our  tracts, 
which  were  given  him  by  Ko  Thah-byu,  which  he 
reads,  and  then  bows  and  prays  to  the  eternal 
God.  He  asked,  anxiously,  what  more  he  should 
do  to  enter  heaven. 

*'  After  worship,  Moung-Thah,  (a  Saukai,)  men- 
tioned August  26th,  came  forward,  and  formally 
asked  for  baptism.  He  bore  a  good  examination,  ] 
and  I  really  believe  he  is  one  of  the  chosen  of 
God ;  but,  as  he  is  the  first  who  has  come  out, 
we  thought  best  for  him  to  wait  a  short  time, 
that  we  might  become  more  acquainted.  We 
have  the  best  reason  to  hope  the  good  work  of 
the  Spirit  is  operating  among  the  Karens  of 
Burmah,  and  our  prayers  are,  *  O  Lord,  smile 
upon  the  poor,  ignorant,  and  oppressed  Karens  of 
Burmah.'  This  is  the  first  Karen  about  Ran- 
goon, who   has    asked  for   baptism.      O  that   he 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  57 

may  be  only  one  of  ten  thousand,  and  this  the 
commencement  of  a  new  era  in  this  idolatrous 
empire ! 

**  As  Ko  Thah-byu  has  been  kept  at  home  by 
the  illness  of  his  wife,  the  Karens  are  calling  on 
him. 

"  A  large  party  of  Karens  from  Dalla  called 
to-day.  Ko  Thah-byu's  house  is  thronged  from 
morn  to  night,  and  our  veranda  below,  by  people 
who  have  come  to  the  festival." 

"  Ko  Thah-byu  complains  that  the  Karens 
throng  his  house,  so  that  it  is  breaking  down. 
Crowds  have  all  day  long  been  coming  and  going, 
*  and  he  has  been  busy  preaching  from  morn  till 
-  night.  They  are  here  from  various  parts  of  the 
country,  and  many  he  has  not  seen  before.  They 
are  very  urgent  from  Bassein  and  Dalla,  on  the 
south  of  us,  and  west  from  Maubee  and  vicinity 
on  the  north,  that  Ko  Thah-byu,  or  some  Karen 
teacher,  should  come  among  them  and  teach  them 
to  read,  and  preach  to  them  the  gospel.  They 
offer,  of  their  own  accord,  to  build  zayats  and 
school-houses.  O  for  laborers  to  enter  this  whi- 
tened field,  and  gather  the  golden  grain  !  " 

"  Our  house  has  been  thronged,  to-day,  by  Ka- 
rens  from  various  places  around   Rangoon,   who 
listened  most  attentively  to  the  gospel.     The  Ka- 
l-v  reus  here,  generally,  understand  Burmese  pretty 
K.    well,  so  that  an  interpreter  is  not  needed.     Poor 
people !  how  my  heart  has  been  affected  for  you 
7    ^-^^y>  when,   hearing  the  honest,   simple  truth, 
^    foil  confessed  that  you  were  ignorant,  and  wished 
I     instruction !     How    unlike    the   proud,   Pharisaic 
p     Burmese,  who  feel  proud  that  they  are  not  like 
other  men,  especially  not  like  the  poor  Karen  ! " 


58  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

"  Lord's  day.  After  worship,  three  Karens 
came  forward,  and  asked  for  baptism.  Two  of 
them  passed  most  admirable  examinations,  and 
perhaps  the  third  would,  could  he  have  conversed 
as  well  in  Burmese.  The  native  brethren  seemed 
surprised  at  the  readiness  of  their  answers,  and 
the  correct  notions  they  seemed  to  possess  of  gos- 
pel truth.  They  evidently  appeared  to  have  been 
taught  by  the  Spirit.  These  men  say,  that  from 
the  first  of  their  hearing  of  Jesus  from  Ko  Thah- 
byu,  six  months  since,  they  have  believed,  and 
prayed  daily  to  the  eternal  God.  They  keep  the 
Lord's  day,  and  meet  together  to  read  the  tracts, 
and  instruct  each  other.  One  of  them  says,  that, 
not  long  since,  he  was  tempted,  by  a  neighbor 
and  his  wife,  to  join  them  in  the  worship  or  feed- 
ing of  the  Nats,  but  he  refused,  saying,  '  He 
meant  to  worship  Jesus  Christ  to  the  end  of  his 
life.'  The  neighbor  then  asked  if  Jesus  could 
save  him  from  the  power  of  the  Nats.  He  said 
he  did  not  know,  but  he  had  been  told  so,  and 
he  believed  it.  He  knew  the  Nats  could  not  save 
him  from  sickness  or  death,  though  he  should  feed 
them  ever  so  much  ;  and  he  meant  to  go  to  Ran- 
goon, as  soon  as  he  could,  and  find  out  more  of 
Jesus  Christ.  When  told  that  this  neighbor  of 
his  was  made  use  of  by  Satan  to  tempt  him  to 
sin,  he  said  he  did  not  know,  but  it  seemed  very 
much  like  it.  As  the  Saukai,  mentioned  Oct.  13, 
could  not  come  to-day,  having  a  lame  foot,  and 
as  we  wish  to  be  more  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
these  men,  they  were  advised  to  wait  until  the 
next  Lord's  day,  or  some  other  opportunity,  when 
the  church  would  again  examine  them  ;  and,  if 
received,  they  would  be  baptized." 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  59 

"  More  than  twenty  Karens  came,  to-day,  from 
Maubee,  and  among  them  are  those  who  asked 
for  baptism  last  Sabbath.  We  had  twelve  of  them 
at  evening  worship,  and  it  would  have  been  ex- 
ceedingly gratifying,  could  our  friends  in  Ameri- 
ca have  heard  the  examination  they  underwent 
after  worship.  When  we  consider  that  it  is  only 
a  few  months  since  they  first  heard  of  the  gospel, 
and  know  they  have  not  been  taught  by  human 
aid,  we  are  forced  to  believe  they  have  been 
taught  from  above.  Four  of  this  number  have 
come  for  the  express  purpose  of  being  baptized 
on  the  morrow." 

"  Lord's  day.  Thirty-two  present  at  worship  ; 
after  which  the  four  Karens  were  examined  and 
received.  Soon  after  this,  they  repaired  to  a 
tank,  near  the  city,  and  were  baptized.  This 
afternoon,  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  supper 
was  observed  ;  twenty-two  communicants  present. 
After  evening  worship,  had  much  interesting  con- 
versation with  the  Karens.  Many  of  them,  beside 
those  baptized,  appear  to  believe  with  all  their 
hearts.  They  have  entirely  thrown  away  their 
old  superstition  of  Nat-worship,  have  broken  short 
off  with  strong  drink,  (a  Karen  besetting  sin,)  and 
since  they  have  heard  the  gospel,  have  kept  the 
Sabbath  day." 

**  To-day  the  Karens  left  for  their  homes,  re- 
joicing in  the  truth  which  has  so  recently  reached 
their  ears.  This  evening,  Ko  Thah-byu,  and  Kat 
Shay,  one  of  the  Karens  just  baptized,  proposed 
that  some  one  of  the  teachers  should  go  into  their 
village,  and  preach  Christ  to  the  people.  This  is 
just  what  is  anxiously  desired ;  but  I  cannot  leave 
Rangoon." 


60  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAII-BYU. 

"  To-day  the  Karen  preachers  Taunah  and 
Panlah  arrived  from  Maulmain.  We  hope  and 
pray  they  may  be  blessed  in  itinerating  among 
their  countrymen." 

"  This  morning,  the  Karens  left  us  for  Maubee ; 
but  as  they  met  Ko  Thah-byu  on  his  way  home, 
and  several  Karens  with  him,  they  all  returned 
together.  Ko  Thah-byu  has  a  school  of  twelve 
or  fifteen  Karens  in  Maubee." 

In  February,  1834,  Mr.  Bennett  writes,  **  This 
morning,  Taunah  and  Panlah,  with  two  school 
teachers,  who  have  been  preaching  and  teaching 
school  among  their  countrymen,  in  Maubee  and 
vicinity,  left  for  their  families  near  Maulmain. 
Just  after  the  vessel  had  weighed  anchor,  and  was 
dropping  down  the  river,  Ko  Thah-byu,  our  Ka- 
ren assistant,  with  several  people  from  Maubee, 
arrived,  and  added  their  crying,  urgent  request, 
that  some  one  should  come  from  Maulmain,  and 
baptize  the  willing  converts,  who  are  like  fruit 
fully  ripe  in  the  wilderness,  which  only  wants  to 
be  gathered.  It  does  sometimes  happen  that 
missionaries  labor  for  years,  and  have  no  apparent 
success  ;  and  it  seems  also  to  happen  that,  where 
none  of  them  have  sown  the  seeds,  the  ripened 
sheaves  wait  to  be  gathered  to  the  garner.  O, 
when  will  these  poor  souls  be  gladdened,  by  being 
permitted  to  follow  their  Savior  in  his  blessed 
ordinances  ?  I  have  had  much  conversation  with 
these  people  to-day ;  and  they  are  so  artless,  so 
honest,  so  simple-hearted,  and  withal  so  full  of 
love  to  Christ,  that  no  one,  who  knows  the  sweets 
of  pardoning  mercy,  could  hear  their  tales  un- 
moved. They  proposed  to-day  a  plan,  (which  I 
fear  could  not  be  granted  in  the  present  state  of 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  61 

affairs,)  which  is,  to  petition  the  Woon-gee  for 
permission  to  have  schools  in  their  own  language, 
and  adopt  whatever  religion  they  pleased,  and 
still  enjoy  the  same  freedom  from  molestation 
they  have  ever  done,  when  without  any  religion. 
Should  they  obtain  such  permission,  Boodhism 
would  hardly  lose  any  of  its  votaries;  for  these 
people,  in  general,  detest  the  worship  of  idols." 

"The  Karens  mentioned  yesterday  came  up 
this  morning,  and  stated  that  they  were  commis- 
sioned by  their  brethren  in  Maubee  to  come  and 
beg  we  would  promise  not  to  leave  Rangoon, 
until  some  one  came  from  Maulmain.  They  say 
they  went  to  the  wharf  yesterday,  in  order  to  send 
word  to  Maulmain,  to  have  a  teacher  come  imme- 
diately ;  but  they  were  too  late,  as  the  vessel  was 
moving  down  the  river.  They  called  to  Taunah, 
but  could  not  make  him  hear,  he  was  so  far  dis- 
tant. They  endeavored  to  get  a  boat  to  go  on 
board,  but  failed.  In  view  of  all  these  things,  I 
dare  not  leave  until  some  one  does  come,  and 
have  promised  the  natives  accordingly." 

After  Mr.  Bennett's  departure  from  Rangoon, 
Mr.  Webb,  who  next  took  charge  of  the  station, 
noticing  Ko  Thah-byu  and  the  fruits  of  his  labors, 
under  different  dates,  in  September  and  October, 
says,  — 

"  Five  Karens  from  Maubee  arrived.  They 
give  interesting  accounts  of  the  state  of  feeling 
there.  Our  two  most  valuable  Karen  brethren 
from  Maulmain  have  been  laboring  at  Maubee 
for  four  or  five  months ;  also  three  lads,  young 
brethren  from  above  Maulmain,  formerly  mem- 
bers of  sister  Hancock's  school.  They  say  that 
between  one  hundred  and  two  hundred  Karens 
6 


62  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

attend  worship  every  Sabbath  at  the  three  or  four 
different  places  where  these  several  brethren  ex- 
hort, and  pray,  and  read  their  solitary  tract  —  the 
only  thing,  except  a  spelling-book,  ever  printed 
in  their  language.  It  is  an  interesting  fact,  and 
worthy  to  be  often  recorded,  that  this  poor,  neg- 
lected, and  despised  people,  who,  but  two  or  three 
years  since,  had  not  a  letter  in  their  language,  are 
now  able,  some  of  them,  both  to  read  and  to  tran- 
scribe their  thoughts  to  others.  When  these  Ka- 
rens arrived,  I  had  received  for  them,  from  the 
Karens  in  Maulmain,  fourteen  letters  written  in 
the  Karen  language. 

**  Seventeen  Karens  arrived  from  Maubee  vil- 
lage exceedingly  fatigued,  having  walked  in  one 
day  a  distance  which  usually  occupies  two,  in 
order  to  be  here  before  the  Sabbath.  Seven  of 
them  were  women,  four  of  whom  had  been  exam- 
ined and  accepted  before  brother  Bennett  left 
Rangoon,  but  not  baptized.  After  worship  in 
Burman,  in  which  they  took  a  part  by  singing  a 
Karen  hymn,  they  went  to  their  lodgings  on  the 
veranda,  and  offered  their  evening  devotions  to 
God.  These  simple  Karens,  unshackled  by  the 
finespun  systems  of  the  Burmans,  hear  the  gos- 
pel wijih  cheering  benefit.  The  seventeen  now 
here  think  themselves  converted  to  God  by  the 
preaching  of  Ko  Thah-byu,  a  Karen  who  for- 
merly assisted  our  lamented  brother  Boardman, 
Moung  Panlah,  and  the  three  Karen  lads  before 
mentioned.  I  asked,  *  Do  the  Karens  mostly  at- 
tend worship  ? '  '  Yes,  but  there  are  some  Phar- 
isees who  do  not.'  '  And  after  you  have  done 
worship,  you  all  go  home  and  work,  I  suppose.' 
Nc  •   "^   remain  together  all  day.'     '  But  what 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  63 

do  you  do  all  day  1 '  *  We  read  the  Scriptures, 
and  preach,  and  pray  five  or  six  times.'  One  of 
their  number  was  seized,  by  order  of  the  head 
man  of  the  village,  and  questioned  concerning 
his  religion.  His  reply  was,  '  I  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  no  more  worship  the  Nats,  nor  the  pa- 
godas, nor  images,  nor  drink  spirits.  I  worship 
the  eternal  God.'  He  was  fined  sixty-five  rupees, 
and  ordered  not  to  receive  the  '  foreigners' '  re- 
ligion. *  Well,  now,'  I  said,  *  you  are  all  very 
much  afraid,  I  suppose.'  *  Some  of  the  people  are 
afraid,  not  the  disciples ;  but  they  come  to  meet- 
ing every  Sabbath,  one  or  two  hundred  of  them, 
to  hear  Jesus  Christ's  law.'  'But  perhaps  the 
rulers  will  take  your  money,  or  whip  you :  why 
are  you  not  afraid  ? '  He  replied  simply,  with  an 
air  of  confidence,  *  Because  the  eternal  God  gov- 
erns.' 

"  Yesterday,  in  connection  with  brother  and 
sister  Cutter,  and  Ko  Shway-bay,  and  Ko  Sanlone, 
two  of  our  most  experienced  and  valuable  Burman 
assistants,  we  examined,  for  admission  into  the 
native  church,  nine  Karens.  Three  of  them  were 
rejected ;  two,  principally  because  of  their  being 
so  young ;  we  feared  they  had  not  safficiently 
counted  the  cost,  though  they  appeared  exceeding- 
ly interesting ;  and  one  because  we  feared  he 
had  not  sufficiently  seen  the  evil  of  his  own  heart. 
The  examination  occupied  the  whole  of  the  day, 
from  nine  in  the  morning  till  five  in  the  afternoon, 
except  one  hour  and  a  half's  intermission.  We 
were  obliged,  in  most  cases,  to  speak  through  a 
Karen  interpreter.  The  other  six  were  received, 
who,  together  with  four  that  had  been  examined 
six  months  before,  make  ten  whom  I  baptized  this 
morning. 


64  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

"  It  was  a  beautiful  morning.  The  sun  shed 
his  brilliant  beams  on  the  gilded  spires  of  the  hun- 
dreds of  surrounding  pagodas,  as  if  to  invite  the 
lifted  eyes  of  their  devotees  to  look  above  these 
spires  to  the  God  who  made  the  sun,  and  gave  him 
power  to  shine.  We  passed  through  a  beautiful 
grove  ofmango-trees,  covered  with  immense  flocks 
of  a  snow-white  bird  called  the  rice-bird,  watching 
their  nests.  These  trees  surround  a  cluster  of 
kyoungs,  or  monasteries  of  priests,  through  which 
we  passed  to  the  *  royal  tank,'  a  beautiful  little 
lake  encircled  by  trees.  Here  I  baptized  the  ten, 
and,  after  offering  our  thanks  and  a  prayer  for  the 
divine  blessing  in  Burman,  the  Karens  returned  to 
their  jungle,  and  we  to  our  dwellings.  This  has 
been  one  of  the  brightest  scenes  of  my  life,  a  day 
which,  for  ten  years,  I  have  anticipated  with  in- 
tense interest.  To  lead  these  benighted  heathen 
to  the  Lamb  of  God,  to  introduce  them  into  the 
church  of  Christ,  to  raise  them  to  civilization,  to 
teach  them  the  use  and  the  worth  of  the  social  and 
domestic  relations  ordained  by  Heaven,  and  the 
bliss  of  loving  God,  —  these  brought  us  from  our 
native  land,  our  home,  the  fireside  of  our  youth, 
from  parents,  friends,  from  what  our  hearts  hold 
dearest  of  all  on  earth,  from  all  the  blessings  which 
we  came  to  bring.  And  'tis  a  glad  exchange. 
We  would  not  forego  our  toil  for  a  crown  and 
sceptre,  except  a  crown  in  heaven. 

"  Sabbath.  Ten  Karens  arrived  on  Saturday 
evening,  six  of  whom  ask  for  baptism.  Four  of 
the  six  we  have  judged  it  best  should  be  set  aside 
for  the  present ;  the  other  two  will  be  baptized 
next  Sabbath.  Ko  Toung-yo,  one  of  the  four  set 
aside,    is    an    interesting   old  man.     He  says    he 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  (i'O 

believes  in  the  eternal  God,  and  always  has;  that 
his  parents  taught  him,  when  a  small  child,  that 
the  world  did  not  spring  up  of  itself,  as  the  Bur- 
mans  say,  but  that  it  was  created  by  a  God,  who 
is  himself  without  beginning  and  without  end, 
whom  the  Karens  call  Kah-tsah-yu-ah ;  and  that 
he  must  not  worship  images,  nor  pagodas,  nor 
priests,  nor  books,  but  must  worship  Kah-tsah-yu- 
ah.  But  we  feared  he  did  not  sufficiently  realize 
the  nature  of  sin  against  God,  and  therefore  told 
him  to  wait  a  little. 

"  Twelve  Karens  arrived  last  evening,  six  of 
whom  have  asked  for  baptism.  These,  together 
with  the  two  received  last  Sabbath,  I  baptized  this 
afternoon,  in  the  royal  tank. 

**  Baptized  four  more  Karens.  We  had  no  Ka- 
ren interpreter,  but  they  all  spoke  Burraan,  so  that 
we  succeeded  much  better  than  we  had  anticipated 
in  their  examination.  These  make  twenty-two  I 
have  baptized  within  these  three  weeks,  and  many 
more  are  said  to  wish  for  baptism,  of  whom  the 
native  brethren  speak  favorably.  The  instruments 
in  this  work  of  grace  have  been  three  men,  and 
two  lads  under  fifteen  years,  all  of  whom  can 
scarcely  read  Burman  at  all,  and  understand  it  less, 
and  who,  if  they  read  Karen,  have  but  a  single 
tract  of  six  pages,  besides  a  spelling-book  of  thirty- 
three  pages,  in  all  their  language. 

"  How  great  is  the  grace  of  God,  to  render  the 
truth  so  plain  that  the  mere  child  may  teach 
enough,  if  it  be  received  with  unwavering  faith  in 
God,  to  purify  the  heart  and  life,  and  prove  the 
salvation  of  the  soul ! " 

After  the  persecution  commenced,  Ko  Thah- 
byu,  being  a  prominent  individual,  left  Maubee  by 
6* 


6Q 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


the  advice  of  his  countrymen,  and  fled  to  Pegu. 
Mr.  Webb  writes,  in  September,  1835,  **  Kyouk- 
kheh,  an  interesting  Karen,  from  the  Karen  brook, 
visited  me  last  evening,  and  staid  through  the 
night.  The  villages  along  the  Karen  brook  are 
subject  to  Maubee  city,  and  have  shared  in  com- 
mon with  the  other  Maubee  Karens  in  the  perse- 
cution. I  learned  from  him  several  interesting 
particulars ;  a  circumstance  peculiarly  gratifying, 
as  we  have  not  before  heard  any  thing  from  these 
villages  since  the  first  of  their  troubles." 

*'The  Maubee  governor  has  under  his  control 
one  thousand  houses.  Before  the  persecution, 
Myat-thah,  one  of  the  Karen  Christians,  was  ap- 
pointed by  him  ruler  of  one  hundred  houses. 
When  the  persecution  began,  Myat-thah  and  ev- 
ery other  one  who  professed  to  believe  in  Christ, 
were  seized  and  fined,  in  all,  to  the  amount  of 
four  hundred  rupees.  This  was  a  heavy  fine,  con- 
sidering that  a  Karen  seldom  has  property  to  the 
amount  of  fifty  dollars.  Myat-thah  was  deposed 
from  his  office,  and  Kyouk-kheh  put  in  his  place. 
He  says,  that  among  the  one  hundred  under  him, 
fourteen  are  Christians,  and  have  been  fined  for 
their  religion.  He  has  not  yet  been  baptized, 
though  he  says  he  and  his  wife,  and  all  his  rela- 
tions, worship  God,  and  all  suffered  in  the  general 
persecution.  He  says  the  Karens  are  afraid  to 
visit  me,  but  they  daily  worship  Goo,  and  never 
worship  the  Nats  or  the  pagodas.  Indeed,  the 
whole  account  he  gives  of  them  is  of  a  pleasing 
character. 

"  We  had  heard  nothing  from  Ko  Thah-byu  for 
four  months.  Kyouk-kheh  says  he  has  heard  of 
him  at  Pegu,  preaching  among  about  two  thou- 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  67 

sand  Karens,  who  live  in  that  vicinity.  When  the 
persecution  commenced  at  Maubee,  his  brethren 
advised  him  to  avoid  it;  and  so,  like  an  apostle, 
when  they  persecute  him  in  one  city,  he  flees  to 
another." 

In  December,  1836,  Mr.  Howard,  writing  from 
the  scene  of  Ko  Thah-byu's  labors  in  Maubee, 
and  on  the  first  visit  of  missionaries,  says,  "I  left 
Rangoon,  November  18th,  with  brethren  Vinton 
and  Abbott,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  Karens 
in  Maubee  and  vicinity,  among  whom  no  mission- 
ary had  ever  been.  As  brother  Vinton  sends  you 
a  journal  of  the  whole  affair,  it  is  unnecessary  that 
I  should  detail  particulars.  I  will  only  add  my 
testimony,  that  the  persons  baptized  (one  hundred 
and  sixty-seven)  during  the  week  which  we  spent 
among  these  children  of  the  forest,  sustained  as 
*good  an  examination  as  any  of  an  equal  number  I 
ever  vv'itnessed  in  America.  The  helpless  con- 
dition of  man  as  a  sinner,  and  the  way  of  salva- 
tion through  Christ  alone,  were  truths  apparently 
well  understood  by  all ;  and  though  they  had  every 
reason  to  expect  that  cruel  persecution  would  be 
the  result  of  their  professed  allegiance  to  the  Sa- 
vior, yet  theirs  was  the  confidence  and  the  joy  of 
those  who  could  say,  '  I  know  in  whom  I  have  be- 
lieved.' In  this  section  are  probably  a  hundred  or 
more  believing  Karens,  who  are  still  waiting  for  an 
opportunity  to  be  baptized.  The  most  who  are  now 
believers,  profess  to  have  been  so  for  one,  two,  or 
three  years,  or  from  the  time  they  first  heard  the 
gospel.  The  Lord  has  carried  on  this  work,  so  far 
as  human  instrumentality  is  concerned,  by  native 
Karen  assistants,  and  principally  by  Ko  Thah-byu." 


68  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Returns  to  Maulmain.  —  Second  Visit  to  Rangoon.  —  Re- 
turns to  Maulmain  again.  —  Goes  to  Arrax,an.  —  Success. 
—  Sickness  and  Death. 

It  would  have  been  interesting  to  read  the  ac- 
count of  Ko  Thah-byu's  wanderings  in  Pegu,  and 
his  attempts  to  go  over  land  to  Maulmain  ;  but  it  is 
one  of  the  withering  curses  of  Ignorance,  that  all 
her  subjects  must  serve  in  silence,  without  the 
power  to  record  the  sufferings  that  her  minions, 
poverty  and  wretchedness,  inflict.  While  the 
skilful  hand  of  Education  oft  "  gives  to  airy  noth- 
ings a  local  habitation  and  a  name,"  the  stern 
realities  of  humble  life  are  left,  like  the  untrodden 
forest,  in  all  their  native  grandeur,  without  a  hand 
to  sketch  them. 

In  the  year  1837,  he  was  in  Maulmain,  but 
went  to  Rangoon  again  with  Mr.  Abbott,  in  April, 
who  thus  writes  :  "  He  immediately  went  into  the 
Karen  jungle,  and  visited  the  Christian  villages 
around  and  near  Maubee,  where  he  had  formerly 
preached,  and  had  been  instrumental  in  Christian- 
izing a  good  many  of  his  fellow-countrymen.  He 
remained  there,  at  this  time,  about  six  months, 
preaching  altogether  among  the  Christian  villages. 
The  old  man's  days  for  itinerating  had  passed 
away.  He  was  afflicted  with  rheumatism  and 
blindness,  and  was  consequently  unable  to  under- 
take any  difficult  journey.  The  Maubee  villages 
being  compact,  and  having  good  roads  from  one  to 
the  other,  he  was  able  to  visit  them  by  making  a 


MEMOIR    OF    KG    THAH-BYU.  G9 

long  stay  at  each.  Another  cause  that  deterred 
him  from  preaching  among  the  unchristianized, 
was,  the  Burmese  government  had  become  alarmed 
at  the  fact  of  so  many  Karens  having  embraced  a 
foreign  religion.  The  Christians  were  oppressed, 
fined,  imprisoned,  and  annoyed  in  every  conceiva- 
ble manner.  Every  petty  Burmese  officer  felt 
himself  called  upon  to  manifest  his  loyalty  and  his 
attachment  to  the  institutions  of  his  country  by 
persecuting  the  Karen  Christians.  The  land 
swarmed  with  '  informers,'  who  were  the  hired 
menials  of  said  officers.  Under  such  circum- 
stances, it  is  no  wonder  that  old  Ko  Thah-byu  felt 
himself  justified  in  remaining  quiet  among  the 
Christians.  Even  had  he  been  able  to  travel  and 
preach,  and  had  he  attempted  it,  he  would  soon 
have  been  apprehended.  His  health  becoming 
more  feeble,  and  war  being  expected  between  the 
English  and  the  Burmese,  he  returned  to  Maul- 
main  in  November.  When  I  left  Maulmain,  in 
February,  1840,  I  knew  not  certainly  that  I  could 
obtain  assistance  from  Burmah,  and  called  Ko 
Thah-byu,  and  he  accompanied  me  to  Sandoway, 
with  his  family.  Immediately  on  my  arrival,  I 
sent  him  to  a  small  Karen  village,  a  few  miles 
from  where  I  live,  where  he  remained  and  preached 
a  while,  and  then  returned  to  me,  and  commenced 
teaching  a  class  of  boys.  The  small-pox  breaking 
out  in  my  school,  and  Ko  Thah-byu's  young  chil- 
dren having  never  had  it,  he  took  his  family  and 
went  again  to  the  village  near.  At  this  place, 
where  he  spent  all  his  time  while  in  Arracan,  four 
have  been  baptized.  Several  now  stand  candi- 
dates for  the  ordinance,  and  a  good  many  are 
nominal  Christians,  all  of  whom  first  heard  the 
gospel  from  Ko  Thah-byu." 


70  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

Here,  in  the  midst  of  his  work,  the  summons 
came  for  him  to  cease  from  his  labors.  Here,  in 
this  village,  which  he  had  so  recently  entered, — 
a  moral  wilderness,  —  he  was  called  away  to  the 
world  of  spirits,  just  when  it  was  budding  and 
blossoming  into  beauty,  as  so  many  and  distant 
regions  had  done  before,  beneath  his  fostering 
hand.     And  he  went, 

"  Not,  like  the  quarry  slave,  at  night 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon,  but  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust, 

Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

*'  His  rheumatic  complaint,"  continues  Mr.  Ab- 
bott, "  had  become  distressing,  so  that  he  was 
many  times  unable  to  walk,  or  even  to  rise  up.  A 
few  weeks  after  he  left  me,  the  disease  settled 
upon  his  lungs,  accompanied  by  violent  inflamma- 
tion, and  the  old  man  seemed  to  be  aware  that  he 
was  near  his  grave.  As  it  was  the  rainy  sea- 
son, I  could  not  go  to  him,  but  sent  a  boat  and 
had  him  brought  in,  he  having  sent  me  word  that 
he  wanted  to  come  and  die  near  me.  He  came, 
but  was  unable  to  walk.  I  saw  he  had  but  a  few 
days  to  live.  He  was  perfectly  willing  to  die ;  had 
no  fears ;  *  as  it  pleases  God,'  seemed  to  be  the 
frame  of  his  spirit.  He  suffered  severely  from  his 
rheumatic  complaint,  notwithstanding  the  constant 
attention  of  the  physician  whom  I  called.  He  was 
very  irritable  at  times,  and  his  old  temper  would 
occasionally  show  itself  He  required  a  good  deal 
of  attention ;  and  many  a  time  was  I  awakened  in 
the  night  by  his  calling,  *  Teacher,  please  come 
and  champoo  me,'  which  I  did,  as  he  seemed  to 
think  no  one  could  do  it  so  well  as  myself     On 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  71 

the  whole,  he  was  submissive  under  his  pains,  until 
they  brought  him  to  the  grave,  on  the  9th  of 
September,  1840.  To  the  last,  he  had  not  an 
anxious  thought  as  to  his  future  destiny ;  his  usual 
reply  to  my  questions  on  the  subject  was,  *  Teach- 
er, God  will  preserve  me.'  " 

What  a  glorious  system  of  blessings  is  Chris- 
tianity !  There  is  not  a  passion  that  it  cannot 
subdue ;  not  an  evil  propensity  that  it  cannot  de- 
stroy ;  not  a  vicious  habit  that  it  cannot  eradicate. 
For  the  sleepless  horrors  of  a  guilty  conscience  it 
has  rest  and  peace,  and  for  every  sting  a  sure 
and  abiding  antidote.  How  amply  it  justifies  the 
rich  promises  of  its  divine  Founder  !  And  what 
marvel  that  the  fearless  apostle,  amid  the  con- 
temptuous disciples  of  Plato  and  Zeno,  lifted  up  a 
dauntless  front,  and  gloried  in  "  Christ,  and  him 
crucified"  !  The  dialogues  of  Plato  live;  but  as 
to  their  influen.ce  on  the  opinions  and  character's 
of  men,  their  ''  glory  is  departed : "  the  disciples 
of  the  Stoa*  have  passed  away,  without  leaving  a 
trace  of  their  existence,  save  the  ruins  of  the 
porches  in  which  they  taught.  But  the  doctrines 
of  the  cross  still  live  to  humanize  inhuman  man  ; 
to  change  a  villain,  from  whose  presence  the  vir- 
tuous instinctively  shrink,  into  a  "  good  man,  full 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  faith,"  who  scatters 
blessings  wherever  he  goes,  whose  path  through 
the  world  is  traced  by  a  track  of  glory,  and  whose 
"  memory  is  the  shrine 


Of  pleasant  thoughts,  soft  as  the  scent  of  flowers ; 
Cahn  as,  on  windless  eve,  the  sun's  decline. 
Sweet  as  the  song  of  birds  among  the  bowers; 

*  Stoa  is  properly  a  Greek  word,  signifying  porch,  or  portico.  It  is 
liere  used  in  reference  to  the  portico,  in  which  the  philosopher  Zeno 
delivered  his  instructions.  From  this  word,  the  followers  of  Zeno 
were  called  Stoics.  —  E. 


72 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


Rich  as  a  rainbow,  with  its  hues  of  light; 
Pure  as  the  moonlight  of  an  autumn  night." 

Where  the  blue  mountains  of  Pegu  so  often  glad- 
den the  eyes  of  the  weary  mariner,  after  half  cir 
cumnavigating  a  world  of  waters,*  sleeps  Ko 
Thah-byu.  No  mound  marks  his  grave ;  no  *'  sto- 
ried urn  or  animated  bust"  indicates  his  resting- 
place  ;  but  the  eternal  mountains  are  his  monument, 
and  the  Christian  villages,  that  clothe  their  sides^ 
are  his  epitaph. 

"  Remembrance  oft  shall  haunt  the  shore, 

When  woods  in  summer  wreaths  are  dressed, 
And  oft  suspend  the  dashing  oar, 

To  bid  thy  fervent  spirit  rest. 
Long,  long,  thy  monumental  clay 

Shall  melt  the  musing  wanderer's  eyes; 
'  O  vales  and  wild  woods,'  shall  he  say, 

'  In  yonder  grave  a  giant  lies.'  " 

*  The  mountains  of  Pegu  and  Arracan  are  often  the  first  land  seer 
in  India,  by  ships  coming  from  Europe  and  America. 


The  King's  Boat. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU 


CHAPTER    VII. 


7i 


Karen  Mission  most  encouraging.  —  Most  successful. — 
The  cheapest.  —  Native  Preachers  most  useful.  —  An 
Establishment  required  to  educate  them.  —  Susceptibili' 
ty  of  the  Karens  to  religious  Impressions.  —  Testimony 
of  various  Missionaries. 

Mr.  Malcom  remarks,  concerning  the  Karen 
mission,  "We  have  been,  perhaps,  too  much  dis- 
posed to  esteem  the  importance  of  a  mission  in 
proportion  to  the  amount  of  population.*  We 
ought  rather  to  regard  the  indications  of  Provi- 
dence. In  this  respect,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  other 
mission  of  modern  times  holds  out  such  encour- 
agements." Here  we  have  the  testimony  of  a 
man  who  was  deputed  for  the  special  purpose  of 
visiting  the  different  mission  stations,  **  to  collect 
such  information  pertaining  to  missions  as  might 
enable  the  board  to  dispense  the  sacred  charities 
intrusted  to  them  with  the  greater  skill."  And 
after  visiting  the  missions  of  nearly  all  denomina- 
tions in  the  East,  he  records  it  as  his  deliberate 
opinion,  that  on  the  very  point  which  ought  to 
give  importance  to  missions  with  those  that  sup- 
port them,  "  no  other  mission  of  modern  times 
holds  out  such  encouragements." 

I  do  not  flatter  myself  that  I  can  add  any  thing 
to  give  greater  weight  in  the  public  mind  to  this 
testimony ;  but  at  a  time  when  the  hearts  of  those 
who  conduct  the  missionary  enterprise  are  begin- 

*  The  Karens  are  much  more  numerous  than  Mr.  Malcom  was 
aware. 

7 


74  MEMOIR    Of    KO    THAH-BYU. 

ning  to  quail  for  the  want  of  funds,  and  official 
documents  moot  the  question  of  abandoning  mis- 
sions, and  calling  home  missionaries,  it  cannot 
be  deemed  either  unimportant  or  invidious  to  of- 
fer a  few  considerations,  to  show  that  the  Karen 
mission  is  the  cheapest  of  American  missions  in 
the  world.* 

The  Karens  do  not  require  so  much  teaching, 
in  the  first  instance,  to  bring  them  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth,  as  other  unevangelized  nations. 
Their  traditions  teach  them  the  existence  of  an 
eternal  God,  who  is  omnipotent,  omniscient,  and 
omnipresent.  Their  traditions  teach  that  this 
God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  all 
which  they  contain ;  that  he  created  man  holy, 
like  himself,  but  that  man  fell  from  his  state  of 
holiness  into  a  state  of  sin  and  misery  by  eating 
the  forbidden  fruit,  through  the  temptation  of  Sa- 
tan ;  but  that  God  has  promised  to  redeem  and 
restore  man  to  his  favor,  and  that  for  this  future 
salvation  they  are  to  wait  in  hope.  These  ac- 
knowledged articles  of  belief  among  them,  with 
many  other  similar  items  of  information,  and  a 
moral  code,  in  the  commands  of  the  elders,  that 
leaves  little  to  be  added, t  save  the  missionary  an 
immense  amount  of  time  and  labor;  for  other  na- 
tions need  to  learn  them  all  from  those  that  teach 
Christianity.  The  consequence  is,  that,  with  far 
less  instruction,  the  members  of  the  churches  are 
much  better  acquainted  with  the  doctrines  and 
duties  of  Christianity,  than  the  converts  from  other 
nations  ;  and  hence,  to  bring  them  to  a  given  point 
in  their  progress  to  knowledge,  requires  less  for- 
eign aid,  and  therefore  less  money. 

*  Foreign  missions  to  the  heathen  are  of  course  to  be  understood, 
■f  See  Appendix. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  V& 

Again,  in  no  modern  mission  has  an  equal 
amount  of  success  attended  such  a  very  small 
amount  of  funds  as  has  been  expended  on  the 
Karen  mission.  The  baptism  of  Ko  Thah-byu, 
in  1828,  was  the  commencement  of  the  mission  ; 
for  not  till  this  period  were  any  efforts  made  for 
the  Karens,  as  a  people.  For  several  years,  one 
ordained  missionary  only  was  devoted  to  their 
service  ;  and  after  a  lapse  of  twelve  years,  at  the 
time  of  Ko  Thah-byu's  death,  there  were  five,  and 
one  assistant  missionary,  with  their  wives.  At 
the  end  of  these  twelve  years,  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  seventy  Karens  are  officially  reported 
as  members  of  the  churches  in  good  standing. 
So  far  as  my  knowledge  goes,  no  mission  will 
admit  of  comparison  with  the  Karen,  but  the 
one  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  This  mission  was 
commenced  in  1829,  with  two  ordained  mission- 
aries, and  five  assistant  missionaries,  and  their 
wives;  and  at  the  end  of  twelve  years,  in  1832, 
there  were  no  less  than  twenty-two  ordained  mis- 
sionaries,* six  assistant  missionaries,  their  wives, 
and  two  single  females  connected  with  the  mis- 
sion ;  more  than  four  times  the  number  of  Karen 
missionaries  at  the  end  of  the  corresponding  pe- 
riod, while  the  whole  number  of  persons  admitted 
to  the  church  from  the  commencement  of  the 
mission  to  the  same  date,  was  five  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  ;  less  than  half  the  number  of  Ka- 
rens, in  good  standing  in  the  church,  at  the  end 
of  the  same  period.     Thus  it  appears  that,  in  the 


*  It  may  be  objected  that  eight  of  these  had  but  recently  joined  ; 
but  this  was  also  true  of  one  of  the  five  belonging  to  the  Karen 
mission,  so  that  before  these  accessions  the  proportion  was  as  one 
to  three  and  a  half. 


76  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

most  successful  of  American  missions,  except  the 
Karen,  it  cost  more  than  four  times  more  men 
and  money  than  it  did  in  the  Karen,  to  produce 
less  than  half  the  results. 

The  cheapness  of  this  mission,  as  compared  with 
other  Eastern  missions,  is  seen  again  in  the  oper- 
ations of  the  press.  Mr.  Trevelyan,  as  quoted  by 
Malcom,  says,  "  There  are  probably  not  five  hun- 
dred persons  in  all  India,  not  educated  by  Euro- 
peans, who  could  take  up  a  translation  in  their 
own  character,  of  any  work  in  philosophy,  morals, 
or  religion,  and  read  it  ex  tempore  with  under- 
standing." Still,  to  reach  the  small  fraction  that 
can  be  benefited  by  books,  the  different  missions 
are  compelled  to  circulate  books  by  tens  of  thou- 
sands annually.  The  waste,  though  unavoidable, 
is  immense.  The  writer  of  this  Memoir  once 
asked  a  missionary  of  some  ten  years'  experience 
in  India,  what  proportion  of  the  books  circulated 
were  read.  "  O,  I  do  not  suppose  a  page  in  a 
thousand,"  was  the  reply.  Another  said,  ^'  One  in 
ten."  How  different  the  circumstances  in  respect 
to  the  Karens  !  All  the  readers  have  studied  in 
schools  taught  either  by  the  missionaries  or  their 
assistants,  and  their  numbers  and  attainments  are 
known ;  so  that  there  is  no  necessity  to  give  a 
single  book  where  there  is  not  a  moral  certainty 
that  it  will  be  both  read  and  understood. 

Again,  it  is  a  remarkable  feature  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Karen  mission,  that,  from  the  com- 
mencement to  the  present  time,  the  work  has 
been  carried  on  preeminently  by  the  natives 
themselves.  Where  is  there  a  mission  that  has 
produced  a  native  preacher  who  has  been  so 
successful     as    the    preceding    pages    show   Ko 


MEMOIR    OF    KO   THAH-BYU.  TT 

Thah-byu  to  have  been  ?  A  dozen  such  men 
would,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  renovate  the 
whole  nation.  Native  preachers,  it  is  well  known, 
are  supported  at  a  tenth  of  what  it  costs  to  sup- 
port missionaries  ;  so  that  the  cheapness  of  the 
mission  appears  again  under  this  aspect.  To 
make  the  native  assistants  most  valuable,  how- 
ever, they  must  be  educated. 

Ko  Thah-byu  laid  about  him  with  the  arm  of 
a  giant;  but  he  was  a  blind  Cyclops.  No  one 
valued  him  as  the  missionaries  did  ;  yet  no  mis- 
sionary ever  ventured  to  ordain  him ;  and  that 
because,  in  common  with  all  his  countrymen,  he 
wanted  a  well-regulated  mind,  such  as  a  thorough 
training  in  a  good  mission  school  is  adapted  to 
impart.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  Karen  mission, 
beyond  all  others,  should  be  amply  provided  with 
means  to  instruct  the  native  Christians ;  and  yet 
in  this  department  it  is  remarkably  deficient. 
There  is  not  a  single  missionary  devoted  to  the 
education  of  the  people,  while  at  each  of  the  prin- 
cipal stations  there  ought  to  be  two,  with  that  as 
the  prominent  object  of  their  labors.  No  matter 
what  name  is  employed,  whether  schools,  acade- 
mies, or  seminaries ;  it  is  institutions  of  learning 
that  are  required,  not  brick  walls  or  Corinthian 
columns.  There  should  be  a  liberal  supply  of 
missionaries  to  teach,  so  that  if  one  be  sick,  as 
one  often  will  be,  another  may  be  able  to  take 
his  place,  that  the  machinery  may  not  run  down, 
as  it  otherwise  assuredly  will ;  and  there  should 
be  a  sufficient  supply  of  money  to  support  the 
pupils  while  studying,  and  to  provide  them  with 
bamboo  dwellings.  Karen  scholars  are  supported 
for  eighteen  dollars  a  year,  including  board,  cloth- 
7* 


78  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

ing,  and  buildings,  but  exclusive  of  books  and 
the  salaries  of  the  missionaries  that  superintend 
them.* 

A  Karen  preacher,  or  school  teacher,  is  sup- 
ported, when  employed  in  the  native  villages,  at 
from  twenty-five  to  fifty  dollars  annually  —  much 
less  than  in  most  other  missions.t  Now,  all  we 
ask  is,  half-a-dozen  more  well-educated  mission- 
aries, and  funds  enough  to  do  all  the  good  they 
can,  on  the  economical  scale  given  above.  Is 
this  an  extravagant  request?  While  there  are 
twenty-four  ordained  missionaries  sent  to  the  one 
hundred  thousand  Sandwich  Islanders,  is  it  be- 
yond the  bounds  of  propriety  or  practicability  to 
sustain  an  establishment  of  half  that  number  for 
the  many  hundred  thousand  Karens?  Such  an 
establishment  as  is  desirable,  might  perhaps  in- 
volve an  annual  expense  of  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars, exclusive  of  the  operations  of  the  press  ;  and 
such  an  establishment,  with  God's  blessing,  would 
change  the  whole  nation,  and  make  them  as  truly  a 
Christian  people  as  are  the  English  or  the  Ameri- 
cans. 

And  surely  the  six  hundred  thousand  Baptist 
communicants  of  the  United  States,  embracing  a 
Baptist  population  of  three  or  four  millions,  will 
not  withhold  a  sum  so  paltry,  to  accomplish  an 
object  so  glorious. 

*  The  whole  expense,  including  every  thing,  may  amount  to  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  dollars. 

f  If  other  missions  are  more  expensive,  or  less  successful,  it  is  not 
the  fault  of  the  missionaries  ;  and  if  the  Karen  mission  is  cheaper,  or 
more  successful,  than  others,  no  credit  is  to  be  here  attributed  to  the 
Karen  missionaries  above  their  brethren.  It  is  to  be  wholly  attributed 
to  peculiarly  favorable  providential  circumstances;  and  these  things 
are  not  mentioned  for  the  sake  of  drawing  invidious  comparisons,  but 
because  they  are  some  of  "the  indications  of  Providence  "  referred  to 
above,  and  because  they  are  facts  that  ought  to  be  known. 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  79 

"  Heaven  doth  with  us  as  we  with  torches  do, 
Not  light  them  for  themselves.     If  our  possessions 
Did  not  go  forth  of  us,  'twere  all  alike 
As  if  we  had  them  not.  Spirits  are  not  finely  touched, 
But  to  fine  issues  ;  nor  Nature  ever  lends 
The  smallest  scruple  of  her  abundance. 
But,  like  a  thrifty  goddess,  she  determines 
Herself  the  glory  of  a  creditor, — 
Both  thanks  and  use." 

But  the  Karens,  apart  from  all  other  consider- 
ations, have  peculiar  claims  on  Christians  on 
account  of  their  remarkable  susceptibility  to  re- 
ligious impressions,  and  the  spirit  of  piety  evinced 
by  the  converts.  Here  we  will  not  argue,  but 
produce  testimony — such  testimony  as  would  be 
more  than  sufficient  to  establish  any  point  in  law. 

The  first  witness  we  shall  bring  into  court  is 
Mr.  Boardman,  on  his  dying  couch.  Hear  his 
testimony  in  the  midst  of  the  Karen  converts 
coming  forward  for  baptism.  "  If  I  live  to  see 
this  one  ingathering,  I  may  well  exclaim,  with 
happy  Simeon,  '  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  ser- 
vant depart  in  peace  according  to  thy  word,  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation.'  How  many 
ministers  have  wished  they  might  die  in  their 
pulpits  !  and  would  not  dying  in  a  spot  like  this 
be  even  more  blessed  than  dying  in  a  pulpit  at 
home  ?   I  feel  that  it  would." 

The  next  that  comes  in  is  Mrs.  Boardman,  in 
her  widowhood,  testifying  to  the  conduct  of  the 
converts  after  baptism.  "  They  are  Karens,  liv- 
ing two  or  three  days'  journey  distant,  who,  by 
their  frequent  visits  to  us,  over  almost  impassable 
mountains,  and  through  deserts,  the  haunt  of  the 
tiger,  evince  a  love  for  the  gospel  seldom  surpassed. 
What  would  the  Christians  in  New  Ensland  think 


80  MEMOIR    OF    KO   THAH-BYU. 

of  travelling  forty  or  fifty  miles  on  foot  to  hear  a 
sermon  and  beg  a  Christian  book  ?  A  good  Chris- 
tian woman,  who  has  been  living  with  us  sev- 
eral months,  told  me  that,  when  she  came,  the 
water  was  so  deep  that  she  was  obliged  to  wait 
till  the  men  in  the  company  could  cut  down  trees 
and  lay  across  the  streams  for  her  to  get  over  on ; 
and  sometimes  she  forded  the  streams  herself, 
when  the  water  reached  her  chin.  She  said  she 
was  more  afraid  of  the  alligators  than  any  thing 
else.  The  reason  of  their  coming  at  so  bad  a 
time  was,  we  had  appointed  a  church  fast,  and 
sent  to  the  Karen  Christians  living  near,  to  unite 
with  us;  but  a  rumor  of  it  spread  beyond  the 
mountains,  and  they  were  so  afraid  that  they 
should  not  observe  it  at  the  right  time  and  in  the 
right  way,  that  a  large  company  of  the  best  dis- 
ciples came  immediately  to  inquire  about  it.  As 
far  as  we  can  learn,  they  manifest  the  same  ten- 
derness of  conscience  and  fear  of  doing  wrong 
on  every  subject ;  and  I  can  say  with  truth,  that 
the  more  we  become  acquainted  with  them,  the 
more  reason  we  find  to  love  them  as  Christians, 
and  to  believe  that  the  work  is  of  God.  Some  of 
them  have  lived  on  our  premises  month  after 
month,  and  their  conduct  has  been  most  exem- 
plary ;  and  we  have  not  heard  of  an  instance  of 
immorality  among  any  of  the  church  members 
during  the  past  year." 

Miss  Cummings,  after  living  a  year  with  the 
Karens  in  their  own  wilds,  adds  her  testimony, 
and  says,  "  A  year  happier  than  has  been  the 
past  I  have  never  seen." 

Our  next  witness  is  Mr.  Vinton,  who  comes 
forward  to  testify  of  the  joy  with  which  the  Chris- 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  81 

tians  receive  a  new  missionary.  "  We  left  Maul- 
main  the  second  of  this  month,  and,  on  our  arrival 
here,  were  received  by  the  native  church,  and 
indeed  by  the  whole  village,  with  expressions  of 
joy,  such  as  are  seldom  witnessed  on  the  arrival 
of  a  long-absent,  yet  endeared,  friend.  Even  the 
children  were  not  content  without  letting  us 
know  the  interest  they  felt,  by  joining  their  pa- 
rents in  carrying  our  things  up  the  steep  ascent 
to  the  house.  At  evening,  the*whole  village  came 
together  for  worship.  It  was  a  season  of  deep 
interest  to  me.  I  told  them,  as  well  as  my  scanty 
knowledge  of  the  language  would  allow,  the  object 
of  my  coming  among  them.  The  greater  part 
seemed  drunk  up  with  interest  at  the  thought  that 
one  was  to  be  devoted  to  the  work  of  making 
known  to  them  the  messages  of  mercy  through  a 
Savior.  The  next  day  they  brought  us  such  fruits 
and  vegetables  as  the  land  afforded;  and,  indeed, 
they  have  continued  to  make  their  offerings  in 
such  abundance,  that  hitherto  we  have  been  more 
than  supplied.  These,  though  of  trifling  value, 
are  like  the  widow's  two  mites,  which,  in  the 
sight  of  God,  were  of  more  value  than  all  the 
offerings  of  the  rich,  and  seem  to  presage  the 
pouring  out  of  that  divine  blessing  annexed  to 
bringing  in  all  the  tithes  into  the  storehouse.  I 
have  baptized  two,  and  shall  probably  baptize 
again  next  Sabbath.  Inquirers  are  multiplying, 
and  I  trust  the  time  is  not  far  distant,  when  this 
whole  land  shall  be  Emanuel's  land,  a  mountain 
of  holiness,  over  which  the  blessed  Jesus  shall 
reign  without  a  rival." 

Next  hear  Mr.  Wade's  evidence  concerning  the 
susceptibility  of  the  people  to  the   truth.      ''As 


82  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

often  as  I  think  of  the  little  church  at  Yeh,  and 
of  the  hopeful  inquirers  there,  I  feel  that  we  have 
reason  to  exclaim,  '  What  hath  God  wrought ! ' 
What,  but  divine  power,  could  have  induced  so 
many  to  believe  the  doctrine  of  foreign  teachers, 
when  their  views  of  their  own  worldly  interest 
inclined  them  to  take  a  directly  opposite  course  ? 
What  God  has  done  there  for  part  of  the  popula- 
tion, he  is  able  to  do  for  the  whole  ;  and  he  is  able 
to  do  the  same  in  efVery  heathen  settlement  where 
the  gospel  is  preached.  The  means  of  grace 
there  have  been  small  on  the  one  hand ;  and,  on 
the  other,  the  people  were  at  first,  with  one  con- 
sent, violently  opposed  to  every  effort  to  introduce 
the  gospel  among  them.  It  was  astonishing  how 
they  had  acquired  so  much  knowledge  of  the  way 
of  salvation,  with  so  little  means." 

Mrs.  Wade  adds  her  testimony  to  the  Christian 
character  of  the  members  of  the  churches.  "  We 
had  a  pleasant  season  at  worship  in  the  morning, 
with  thirteen  Karen  Christians :  two  came  with 
us,  one  was  from  a  distant  village,  and  ten  belong 
to  this  place.  Several  others,  besides  children, 
were  present.  At  evening,  I  felt  much  better,  and 
conversed  for  some  time  with  the  Christians,  who 
appear  steadfast  in  the  faith,  and  some  of  them 
*  growing  in  grace.' 

"  They  are  far  separated  from  any  other  Chris- 
tians, and  can  but  seldom  see  the  missionaries  ; 
but  they  seem  to  live  a  life  of  prayer  and  simple 
faith  in  God.  Every  Sunday  they  assemble,  and 
read,  and  pray,  and  sing :  and  truly  the  blessing  of 
the  Lord  rests  upon  them.  O,  it  is  delightful  to 
sit  and  hear  them  tell  how  peaceful  and  happy 
they  are,  since  *  God  gave  them  new  hearts.'  —  On 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  S3 

our  arrival  at  Matah,  this  morning,  we  found  the 
Christians  had  repaired  the  old  house,  and  spread 
their  mats  on  the  floor,  and  made  all  things  look 
quite  comfortable.  We  spent  the  remainder  of  the 
day  in  conversing  with  them,  attending  to  the  sick, 
&c.,  until  evening,  when  they  beat  a  small  gong, 
which  called  them  all  to  the  zayat  for  worship.  It 
was  truly  a  delightful  sight  to  see  above  one  hundred 
and  fifty,  all  seated  in  perfect  order,  and  waiting 
to  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  from  their  teacher. 
Their  singing  was  really  melodious,  and  their  at- 
tention and  behavior,  every  way,  might  be  a  useful 
example  to  many  congregations  in  our  own  dear 
native  country.  I  have  now  been  a  month  among 
these  dear  Christians,  and  am  compelled  to  exclaim, 
*  What  hath  God  wrought! '  I  really  did  not  ex- 
pect to  find  such  lovely  examples  of  simple,  hum- 
ble piety,  as  I  see  exhibited  in  the  lives  of  many 
of  them,  while  their  means  of  instruction  have 
necessarily  been  so  limited.  I  will  not  retire  with- 
out recording  the  goodness  of  God ;  for  this  has 
been  one  of  the  happiest  days  of  my  whole  life. 
The  morning  was  spent  in  examining  candidates  ; 
the  afternoon  in  a  kind  of  church  conference, 
until  the  cool  of  tl^  day,  when  we  had  a  short 
service.  We  then  repaired  to  the  beautiful  banks 
of  the  Tenasserim,  where  twenty-five  lovely  con- 
verts were  buried  with  Christ  in  its  crystal  waters. 
The  assembly  was  large,  the  singing  animated 
and  melodious,  and  the  scenery  around  most  ro- 
mantic and  delightful.  Surely  it  was  one  of  those 
scenes  in  which  angels  love  to  mingle.  Dear 
brother  Boardman  '  went  forth  weeping,  bearing 
the  precious  seed ; '  brother  Mason  has  toiled  hard 
here  alone  in  '  watering ; '  and  we  are  permitted 


84  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

to  gather  in  the  *  increase,'  which  God  has  given. 
Well,  we  here  on  earth  will  join  our  brother  in 
glory,  in  giving  all  the  praise  to  Him  who  hath 
redeemed  them  and  us  by  his  own  precious  blood." 

Miss  Macomber  follows  to  testify  to  the  reality 
of  the  Spirit's  influence  in  the  progress  of  the 
work.  *'I  have  now  the  happiness  to  inform  you 
that  the  excitement,  which  I  attributed  wholly  to 
novelty,  proved  to  be  a  gracious  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  A  number  of  these  poor  dark  hea- 
then, who  were  then  bound  in  Satan's  double 
chain,  (idolatry  and  drunkenness,)  have  been  lib- 
erated and  brought  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  and  are  now  rejoicing  in  the 
hope  of  the  glory  of  God. 

"  The  progress  of  the  work  has  been  deeply 
interesting  to  all  who  have  been  acquainted  with 
it,  and  particularly  so  to  myself  Never  were  the 
power  and  mercy  of  God  more  manifestly  dis- 
played, and  never  did  his  saving  grace  shine 
through  a  more  feeble  instrumentality.  But  God 
can  work  according  to  his  will ;  and  blessed  be 
his  name,  the  heathen  shall  be  given  to  his  Son. 

"  Our  first  baptism  was  on  the  12th  of  January. 
Chung-pau,  a  man  rather  a^^anced  in  years,  but 
of  a  sound,  good  mind,  and  who  has  thus  far  mani- 
fested a  most  devoted  spirit,  had,  from  the  first, 
listened  with  uncommon  interest;  and  1  think  I 
shall  never  forget  the  sensations  it  gave  me,  when 
he  would  come  and  sit  down  by  me,  and,  with  a 
countenance  which  bespoke  a  soul  awakened  to 
the  interest  of  eternal  realities,  would  ask,  '  What 
is  it  to  believe  ?  What  can  I  do  to  believe  ?  I 
want  to  escape  hell,  and  obtain  heaven.  I  wish  to 
trust  in  Jesus  Christ.     What  shall  I  do  ? '     O,  what 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 


m 


would  I  have  given,  in  that  moment,  for  an  easy 
use  of  the  language  !  But  I  said  what  I  could,  and 
the  Spirit  taught  him  as  man  could  not." 

Mr.  Kincaid  comes  forward  to  testify  to  the 
eagerness  with  which  the  Christians  flocked  around 
him  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  their  desire  to 
understand  it.  "  Set  off  in  a  Burman  canoe  to 
visit  some  Karens,  twenty-five  miles  distant.  I 
found  the  village  delightfully  situated  on  the  mar- 
gin of  a  mountain  stream;  but  the  most  pleasant 
part  was,'  to  witness  the  eagerness  with  which 
they  flocked  around  me  to  listen  to  the  word  of 
God.  My  feeble,  emaciated  appearance  drew 
from  them  the  tenderest  sympathy.  Though  un- 
able to  sit  up  more  than  an  hour  and  a  half  at  a 
time,  I  still  had  strength  to  preach  to  them  every 
morning  and  evening.  My  congregation  averages 
about  sixty.  They  sing  the  songs  of  Zion  in  the 
sweetest  manner.  There  was  a  melody  and  sweet- 
ness in  their  singing,  which  perhaps  is  rarely  ever 
heard. 

'*  The  Karen  Christians  are  comincr  in  almost 
daily ;  often  seven  or  eight  together  ;  and  they 
would  come  by  twenties,  if  we  had  not  sent  them 
word  that  it  would  be  imprudent,  and  exposing 
themselves  unnecessarily  to  fines  and  imprison- 
ment; perhaps  to  long  servitude,  and  possibly  to 
death.  Some,  who  had  been  bound  with  cords, 
and  cruelly  beaten  till  nearly  senseless,  for  preach- 
ing Christ  and  the  resurrection,  came  to  see  us. 
Often,  when  we  returned  from  a  walk  in  the  even- 
ing, through  some  part  of  the  town  or  suburbs,  we 
found  four  or  five,  or  seven  or  eight,  in  our  room, 
nearly  worn  out  with  their  long  march  through 
the  heat  of  the  sun.  Still  they  would  sit  up  till 
8 


86  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

after  midnight,  asking  questions  about  Christian 
doctrines  and  duties,  and  having  difficult  passages 
of  Scripture  explained  ;  and  even  at  that  time  of 
night,  it  was  not  easy  to  get  away  to  sleep,  they 
were  so  eager  to  have  every  thing  obscure  made 
plain.  Some  of  these  are  assistants,  who  have 
from  twenty  to  sixty  families  each  under  their 
care.  They  are  pastors,  as  well  as  preachers; 
each  one,  in  his  own  parish,  visiting  from  house  to 
house,  reading  the  Scriptures,  and  praying  with 
the  sick,  conducting  public  worship  on-  the  Sab- 
bath, preaching  to  the  unconverted,  and  perform- 
ing the  rite  of  marriage,  according  to  Christian 
usage.  They  also  preside  in  the  respective 
churches  under  their  care.  They  are  not  or- 
dained, and  therefore  do  not  administer  baptism 
and  the  Lord's  supper.  They  are  indeed  God's 
*  anointed  ones,'  and  we  have  no  doubt  but  in 
time  they  will  become  efficient  pastors  and  evan- 
gelists. It  would  be  imprudent  now  to  intrust 
them  with  power  to  baptize  and  admit  persons  to 
church  membership.  They  must  have  more  in- 
struction in  the  '  mysteries  of  the  kingdom,'  more 
experience,  and  more  knowledge  of  character,  or 
there  would  be  danger  of  their  filling  up  the  church 
with  mere  nominal  Christians.  Two  of  the  young 
men,  who  were  in  irons  and  stocks  last  year,  are 
now  sitting  near  me,  reading  the  New  Testament. 
Both  of  them  are  fine,  active  young  men. 

*'  The  assistant  who  has  been  laboring  in  the 
vicinity  of  Bassein,  where  the  celebrated  young 
chief  resides,  has  just  arrived  in  Rangoon.  The 
work  of  divine  grace  in  that  region  is  wonderful. 
The  house  of  the  young  chief  is  thronged  much 
of  the  time  by  Karens,  who  come  to  hear  the  gos- 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  81^ 

pel,  and  learn  to  read.  In  that  district,  between 
two  and  three  hundred  are  waiting  for  baptism. 
Such  is  the  power  of  the  gospel  among  that  people. 
We  have  examined  six  or  seven  native  assistants, 
and  given  them  all  the  instruction  which  so  short 
a  time  could  allow.  Our  prayers  go  with  them 
in  their  blessed  labors.  They  have  the  highest 
wisdom;  that  is,  wisdom  in  winning  souls  to 
Christ.  Their  purpose  and  feelings  are  exclusive. 
One  settled  design  appears  to  engross  all  their 
thoughts  and  wishes.  Persecution  does  not  dis- 
hearten them  ;  fines  and  imprisonment  do  not  ter- 
rify them.  The  spread  of  the  gospel,  and  the 
salvation  of  their  countrymen,  is  the  all-engrossing 
subject  by  day  and  by  night." 

Mr,  Hancock  testifies  to  the  appearance  of  the 
people  while  suffering  from  the  "  pestilence  that 
walks  at  noonday."  "  My  visit  to  Matah  was  an 
extremely  interesting  one,  though  I  have  since  paid 
dearly  for  it.  Brother  Mason  and  myself  left  Ta- 
voy  on  Wednesday  morning,  and  reached  the 
*  City  of  Love '  *  Thursday  evening,  about  five 
o'clock.  We  were  heartily  welcomed  by  brother 
and  sister  Wade.  In  the  evening,  by  request,  I 
addressed  an  assembly  of  between  two  and  three 
hundred  Karens,  from  these  words :  '  Let  not  your 
hearts  be  troubled.'  Many  of  them  had  lately  lost 
friends  by  the  cholera,  and  their  hearts  were  still 
bleeding  from  the  wounds  which  had  been  made ; 
many,  also,  had  contemplated  a  removal  from  the 
place,  from  fear  of  contagion.  I  directed  their 
minds  to  the  words  above  quoted,  as  a  *  balm  for 
all  their  wounds,  and  a  cordial  for  their  fears.'     It 

*  Such  is  the  meaning  of  the  whole  word  Matah-myu,  of  which 
Matah  is  an  abbreviation.  —  E. 


88  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

was  the  largest  congregation  of  natives  I  had  seen 
in  the  country,  and  a  more  attentive  one  I  have 
never  seen.  When  the  meeting  vi^as  over,  all  were 
anxious  to  testify  their  welcome  to  the  stranger, 
by  a  shake  of  the  hand  ;  and  it  was  with  much 
difficulty  I  made  my  way  through  the  crowd." 

Mr.  Abbott's  evidence  relates  to  the  manner 
with  which  the  Christians  bear  persecution;  to 
"  whole  villages  having  turned  to  God  ;  "  and  to  the 
efficiency  of  the  native  preachers.  "During  a  few 
weeks  after  the  '  young  chief  and  his  associates 
were  released,  but  few  Karens  ventured  to  call  on 
me  at  Rangoon  ;  yet  more  than  I  wished.  About 
the  1st  of  October,  three  men  came  from  Bassein, 
to  ask  that  question  which  was  to  me  the  precur- 
sor of  evil  — '  Teacher,  what  shall  we  do?  for,'  said 
they,  *  four  of  our  brethren  are  in  the  stocks.' 
They  informed  me  that  an  assistant  whom  I  had 
sent  to  that  region,  and  three  young  men  who  had 
joined  him  there,  were  out  on  a  preaching  excur- 
sion, and  stopped  at  a  large  Karen  village  one 
evening,  which  was  near  to  the  village  of  a  Bur- 
man  officer,  and,  as  their  custom  was,  called  to- 
gether the  people,  and  preached  to  them  the 
kingdom  of  God.  They  were  warned  that  their 
course  would  possibly  awaken  the  wrath  of  the 
officers.  But,  as  it  seems,  they  deemed  it  advisa- 
ble to  obey  God  rather  than  man,  and  continued 
their  meeting  till  a  late  hour  at  night.  The  next 
morning,  before  they  had  time  to  get  away,  these 
four  young  Karens  were  apprehended,  and  beaten, 
with  several  who  had  listened  to  their  story  the 
preceding  evening.  They  were  then  (the  four) 
cast  into  the  stocks,  and  reserved  for  threatened 
torture.     In  ten  days,  I  heard  again,  the  four  had 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  89 

been  liberated  before  the  men  who  came  to  me 
reached  home.  But  the  officers  had  extorted  a 
hundred  and  fifty  rupees  from  the  Christians, 
which  sum  had  been  immediately  made  out  by 
voluntary  contribution,  some  giving  one  anna,  and 
some  two,  and  some  one  rupee ;  yet  not  a  Karen 
in  this  whole  region  has  been  baptized,  except  the 
*  young  chief.' 

"  On  the  20th  of  November,  the  assistant  men- 
tioned above  came  to  me  at  Rangoon,  pale  and 
emaciated  from  disease.  I  asked  him  how  he  felt 
while  they  were  beating  him  1  *  Prayed  for  them.' 
But  were  you  not  a  little  angry  ?  '  No ;  I  told 
them  they  might  beat  me  to  death,  if  they  wished, 
but  they  would  not  make  me  angry,  and  I  should 
live  again  at  the  resurrection.  When  they  heard 
this,  they  laughed,  and  after  beating  me  a  little, 
stopped.'  Since  that  time,  he  has  been  preaching 
in  villages  more  remote  from  the  Burmans,  and 
has  not  been  molested.  The  account  he  brings 
relative  to  the  work  of  the  Lord  in  those  regions, 
surpasses  every  thing  I  have  known  in  modern 
days  among  heathen  nations ;  and  if  it  be  of  God, 
it  will  stand. 

**At  Maubee  and  the  surrounding  villages,  there 
are  very  many  who  have  learned  to  read  within  the 
last  year,  and  many  who  have  embraced  the  gos- 
pel, and  are  waiting  for  baptism.  The  church 
stands  firm  amid  storms  and  threatenings,  oppres- 
sions and  persecutions. 

"  At  Bassein,  the  *  young  chief '  continues  to 
be  as  actively  engaged  in  doing  good  as  ever. 
His  house  is  a  great  Bethel,  a  temple  of  God, 
whither  the  people  from  the  neighboring  and  dis- 
tant villages  resort,  to  learn  to  read,  and  how  to 
8* 


90  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

worship  God.  He  is  the  only  baptized  individual 
in  that  region,  and  consequently  is  the  only  one 
who  can  be  reckoned  a  member  of  the  church. 
How  many  there  are  there,  who  would  be  consid- 
ered proper  subjects  of  baptism,  it  is  impossible 
to  say.  The  assistants  think  there  are  from  six 
hundred  to  one  thousand  who  are  decidedly 
Christians.  Although  but  one  has  been  baptized 
there,  still  the  line  of  demarkation  between  those 
who  serve  God  and  those  who  serve  him  not,  is 
distinctly  drawn  ;  and  generally  there  exists  on 
the  part  of  those  who  reject  the  gospel  a  most 
bitter  hatred  towards  the  Christians.  In  fact,  the 
Karen  converts  fear  their  own  countrymen,  who 
are  enemies  to  the  gospel,  more  than  Burman 
officers.  Sometimes,  even  in  families,  there  exists 
the  most  deadly  opposition  ;  and  not  only  are  '  a 
man's  foes  they  of  his  own  household,'  but  they 
are  often  his  bitterest  foes.  Notwithstanding,  I 
know  of  several  villages  where  the  people  are  all 
decidedly  Christian ;  and  althojugh  it  has  been 
denied  by  some  that  there  are  '  whole  villages  who 
have  turned  to  God,'  yet  if  they  will  take  a  trip 
with  me  into  the  Karen  jungles,  I  will  show  them 
several  such.  It  is  easy  to  account  for  the  rapid 
spread  of  the  gospel  in  these  regions.  I  attribute 
it,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  to  the  efficiency  and 
apostolic  zeal  of  the  Karen  native  preachers." 

Mr.  Malcom,  returning  from  inspecting  the  mis- 
sion, comes  in  to  testify  to  the  temperance  of  the 
Christians,  and  to  their  gratitude  to  the  American 
churches ;  closing  with  a  Karen  baptismal  scene. 
"  The  change  in  regard  to  temperance  is  not  less 
remarkable.  Unlike  the  Burmans,  whose  religion 
utterly  forbids   strong   drink,    and  who   scarcely 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU.  91 

ever  use  it,  the  Karens  use  it  universally,  and 
generally  to  excess;  every  family  make  arrack 
for  themselves,  and  from  oldest  to  youngest  par- 
take. Drunkenness,  with  all  its  train  of  horrors, 
is  rife  among  them,  of  course.  But  no  sooner  do 
any  become  serious  inquirers,  and  consort  with 
the  disciples  for  further  instruction,  than  they 
totally  abandon  the  accursed  thing.  The  chil- 
dren of  the  very  men  who  were  sots,  are  growing 
up  without  having  tasted  or  seen  it.  The  conse- 
quences to  domestic  peace  and  general  welfare 
may  be  supposed. 

**  When  endeavors  to  do  good  fail,  it  is  a  sweet 
reward  to  see  those  we  meant  to  benefit,  grateful 
for  our  interference.  And  when  good  is  really 
done,  our  pleasure  is  often  neutralized  by  the  pain 
of  being  ungratefully  requited.  Those  who  sup- 
port our  enterprise  ought  to  know  that  this  peo- 
ple testify  aloud  their  continual  gratitude  towards 
the  Christians  of  this  country  for  the  knowledge 
of  Christianity.  They  often  compare  their  former 
degradation  and  misery  with  their  present  com- 
forts and  hopes.  We  had  a  church  meeting,  at 
which,  among  other  business,  three  candidates  for 
baptism  were  received.  Some  others  were  de- 
ferred for  the  present.  The  rude-looking  assem- 
bly (lately  so  rude  indeed,  and  so  ignorant  of 
eternal  things)  transacted  their  business  with  much 
order  and  great  correctness  of  judgment.  Now, 
and  several  times  before,  I  addressed  them  official- 
ly, through  Mr.  Judson,  examining  into  their  de- 
grees of  religious  knowledge,  and  leaving  them 
various  injunctions  relating  to  both  temporal  and 
eternal  things.  In  the  afternoon,  we  met  again, 
and,  after  religious   exercises,  walked  in  proces- 


92  MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU. 

sion  to  the  water-side,  where,  after  singing  and 
prayer,  I  baptized  the  candidates  in  the  name  of 
the  Holy  Three.  The  river  was  perfectly  serene, 
and  the  shore  a  clean  sand.  One  of  those  lofty 
mountains  which  I  have  described,  rose  in  iso- 
lated majesty  on  the  opposite  shore,  intercepting 
the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  The  water  was  per- 
fectly clear,  the  air  cool  and  fragrant,  the  candi- 
dates calm  and  happy.  All  was  good.  May  that 
lonely  mountain  often,  often  echo  with  the  baptis- 
mal hymn,  and  the  voice  of  prayer  !  How  blessed 
and  golden  are  these  days  to  Burm^h  !  Men  love 
to  mark  the  glorious  sunrise.  Painters  copy  it ; 
poets  sing  it ;  all  derive  pleasure  and  elevation 
as  they  gaze  while  it  blazes  up  the  heavens, 
turning  to  gorgeous  purple  every  dull  cloud,  gild- 
ing the  mountain  tops,  and  chasing  the  mists 
from  the  valley.  God  seems  present,  and  creati<in 
rejoices.  But  how  much  more  glorious  is  the 
dawn  I  am  permitted  here  to  witness  !  All  the 
romance  which  swells  the  bosom  of  the  sentiment- 
alist; gazing  on  early  day,  is  coldness  and  trifling, 
compared  to  the  emotions  a  Christian  may  cherish, 
when  he  sees  the  gospel  beginning  to  enlighten  a 
great  nation.  Surely  we  may  hope  such  is  the 
case  here,  and  that  the  little  light,  which  has 
invaded  this  empire  of  darkness,  will  issue  in  per- 
fect day.  I  see  a  dim  twilight ;  others  will  rejoice 
in  the  rising  sun,  and  others  in  the  meridian  day. 
O  Lord,  come  with  thy  great  power.  Inspire  the 
churches  to  do  all  their  duty,  and  prepare  all  peo- 
ple for  thy  truth." 

Finally,  to  express  the  feelings  of  every  Karen 
missionary,  Mr.  Judson  comes  forward,  exclaim- 
ing, with  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 


MEMOIR    OF    KO    THAH-BYU 


m 


ness,  "  The  dying  words  of  an  aged  man  of  God, 
when  he  waved  his  withered,  death-struck  arm, 
and  exclaimed,  '  2%e  best  of  all  is,  God  is  with  us^ 
I  feel  in  my  very  soul.  Yes,  the  great  Invisible 
is  in  these  Karen  wilds.  That  mighty  Being,  who 
heaped  up  these  craggy  rocks,  and  reared  these 
stupendous  mountains,  and  poured  these  streams 
in  all  directions,  and  scattered  immortal  beings 
throughout  these  deserts.  He  is  present,  and  ac- 
companies the  sound  of  the  gospel,  with  convert- 
ing, sanctifying  power.  The  best  of  all  is,  God 
IS  WITH  us." 


The  Grave  of  Mrs.  Ann  H.  Judson. 


APPENDIX. 


ABRIDGED    FROM    THE    FIRST    EDITION. 


The  Karens  are  a  people  so  little  known,  that  a  few 
historical  and  geographical  notices  concerning  them  may 
not  be  unacceptable  to  the  reader  of  the  preceding  Me- 
moir. The  writer  has  also  furnished  the  public  with 
various  Karen  traditions  ;  but  as  they  lie  scattered  in 
different  periodicals,  he  has  presumed  that  a  revised  ac- 
count of  them,  with  additions,  would  be  deemed  desirable 
and  appropriate,  at  the  close  of  the  Memoir  of  "  the  first 
Karen  convert." 

HISTORICAL  AND  GEOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

The  Karens  have  well-defined  traditions  of  being  com- 
paratively recent  emigrants  in  Tavoy.  They  say,  '<  The 
elders  said,  we  came  down  from  the  upper  country. 
Some  fled  from  punishment,  and  some  came  because 
they  heard  that  it  was  a  good  country.  At  first  we  came 
down  and  settled  on  the  Attaran;  next,  we  came  to  Ya; 
and  finally  to  Tavoy."  This  tradition  receives  confir- 
mation from  the  fact,  that,  while  the  dialects  spoken  at 
Tavoy  and  Maulmain  differ  in  many  respects,  the  Ka- 
rens on  Balu  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Salwen,  are 
said  to  speak  "  precisely  the  same  dialect  as  is  spoken 
at  Tavoy;"  which  maybe  easily  accounted  for  on  the 
supposition  that  the  Karens  on  that  island  are  descend- 
ants of  the  original  wanderers  from  the  upper  country, 
who  did  not  go  farther  south. 

The  testimony  of  tradition  is  equally  definite  as  to 
their  recent  introduction  into  Siam.  "  The  elders  said, 
the  Karens  have  not  been  long  in  Siam.  Many  went 
thither  when  Martaban  was  destroyed,  because  they 
heard  it  was  a  good  country  ;  some,  whom  the  Siamese 
had  kidnapped,  were  there  before,  and  some  went  when 


HISTORICAL    NOTICES.  95 

the  Siamese  besieged  Tavoy."  This  tradition  is  made 
probable  by  the  well-established  fact,  that  there  are  no 
Karens  in  Siam  except  on  the  western  side  of  the  Mei- 
nam.  It  is  well  known  that  there  are  none  in  Arracan, 
except  a  few  that  have  straggled  over  the  mountains 
into  the  southern  province  of  Sandoway. 

Thus  we  are  enabled  to  trace  them  satisfactorily  to 
the  valleys  of  the  Irrawaddy  and  the  Sal  wen  ;  and  we 
have  equally  definite  traditions  that  their  original  home 
was  not  there  ;  but  whence  they  came  to  inhabit  these 
regions  is  not  clear.  Tradition  says,  "  The  Karens, 
anciently,  came  from  beyond  the  waters  of  running  sand, 
and,  having  marked  out  Zimmay  for  themselves,  re- 
turned. Afterwards,  when  they  came  to  dwell  there, 
they  found  the  Shans  occupying  the  country.  Then  the 
Karens  cursed  them,  saying,  Dwell  ye  in  the  dividing 
of  countries.  May  Ava  make  war  on  you  on  one  side, 
and  Siam  on  the  other."  There  is  a  hint  on  this  subject 
in  Dr.  Richardson's  account  of  the  red  Karens,  who,  he 
says,  represent  themselves  as  having  come  from  the 
north-west.  Malte-Brun,  too,  arguing  from  the  accounts 
of  Marco  Polo,  confirms  this  tradition.  He  concludes, 
"  Thus  the  country  of  Caride  is  the  south-east  point  of 
Thibet,  and  perhaps  the  country  of  the  nation  of  the 
Cariaines,  which  is  spread  over  Ava." 

This  view  is  strongly  confirmed  by  Mr.  Kincaid,  who, 
writing  wholly  from  original  sources  of  information,  says, 
"  The  result  of  all  my  inquiries  is,  that  Kakhyen  is  only 
another  name  for  the  Karens.  All  these  mountain  tribes, 
through  the  whole  extent  of  the  Shyan  country,  and  still 
north  into  Thibet,  are  called  Kakhyens,  except  in  the 
Hukong  valley,  between  Mogaung  and  Assam,  where 
they  are  called  Thing-bau-kakhyen.  The  whole  moun- 
tain country  between  Mogaung  and  Cathay  is  inhabited 
by  the  same  people.  Around  the  Martaban  Gulf,  and 
thence  inland  as  far  as  the  Burman  population  has  ever 
extended,  the  mountain  tribes  are  called  Karens.  Be- 
tween Rangoon  and  Toung-oo,  and  between  Toung-oo 
land  Ava,  they  are  very  numerous,  as  also  between 
Toung-oo  and  Monay,  a  Shan  city,  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  east  of  Ava.  There  are  some  tribes  scat- 
tered along  between  Burmah  and  the  Shyan  states,  called 
Karen-nee,  red  Karens;  and  these  extend  as  far  east  as 


96  APPENDIX. 

Zimmay.  These  are  less  civilized  than  those  who  live 
in  the  vicinity  of  Burman  towns.  Some  have  errone- 
ously considered  them  as  belonging  to  the  Shyan  family. 
Their  language  and  every  thing  else  pertaining  to  them 
is  Karen.  In  addition  to  this,  the  south-east  part  of 
Thibet  is  inhabited  by  Kakhyens  ;  at  least  I  have  reason 
to  believe  so,  as  the  Shans,  who  live  in  the  most  north- 
ern part  of  Burniah,  and  adjoining  Thibet,  call  the  coun- 
try '  the  Kakhyen  country.'  It  will  be  seen,  then,  that 
these  mountain  tribes  are  scattered  over  a  vast  extent  of 
country,  and  their  population  I  make  to  be  about  five 
millions." 

Dr.  Heifer  testifies  strongly  to  the  "  Caucasian  coun- 
tenance "  of  the  Karens;  and  Captain  Hanney,  speaking 
of  the  Kakhyens,  says,  they  "  are  remarkable  among  all 
the  nations  around  them,  in  being  wholly  destitute  of  the 
Tartar  countenance,  having  long  faces  and  straight 
noses."  Testimony  so  independent,  and  so  free  from 
all  theory  on  the  subject,  goes  far  to  prove  the  identity 
of  these  tribes. 

Admitting  that  the  Karens  are  emigrants  from  the 
borders  of  China  and  Thibet,  it  could  hardly  be  expected 
that  at  Tavoy  much  evidence  of  the  fact  would  be  found. 
Still  there  are  some  things  in  their  customs  and  tradi- 
tions which  point  strongly  that  way.  The  nation  is  di- 
vided into  two  parties,  which  may  not  be  improperly 
denominated  sects  ;  one  of  these  is  in  the  constant  prac- 
tice of  making  offerings  to  the  departed  spirits  of  their 
ancestors  —  a  custom  which  could  not  well  be  derived 
from  any  but  the  Chinese.  The  other  sect  denounces 
this  practice,  and  is  careful  to  avoid  it,  as  they  say  their 
ancestors  were ;  which  further  goes  lo  show  that  the 
practice  has  been  ingrafted  on  their  ancient  customs. 
Again,  Teen,  the  Chinese  name  for  God,  exists  in  Karen 
poetry  as  the  name  of  a  false  god,  which  they  regard  as 
having  been  worshipped  by  a  people  with  whom  they 
were  formerly  in  contact;  though  they  have  not  the 
most  distant  idea    that  that  people  were  the  Chinese. 

One  little  coincidence  would  indicate  a  connection 
also  with  Thibet.  The  names  of  the  months  in  Karen 
are  usually  significant,  each  designating  some  circum- 
stance or  labor  indicative  of  the  season ;  but  the  two 
months  corresponding  to  June  and  July  are  exceptions, 


SCRIPTURAL    TRADITIONS.  WF 

being  designated  numerically.  June  is  called  the  sev- 
enth month,  and  July  the  eighth  month ;  by  which 
enumeration,  the  first  month  would  be  December.  Now, 
no  people,  of  whom  I  have  read,  commence  their  year 
in  December  but  the  Thibetans;  and  they  also  denom- 
inate their  months  numerically.  In  the  publications  of 
the  Asiatic  Society,  it  is  stated,  "  The  civil  year  com- 
mences differently  in  different  parts  of  Thibet,  varying 
from  December  to  February.  At  Asadakh,  it  begins  in 
December.  The  months  have  several  names  expressive 
of  the  seasons,  &c. ;  but  they  are  usually  denominated 
numerically,  first,  second,  &c." 

Finally,  evidence  to  the  connection  of  the  Karens 
with  the  north-western  tribes  is  furnished  by  their 
language.  Of  a  vocabulary  of  seventy  words,  puD- 
lished  in  the  periodicals  to  illustrate  the  language  of 
those  tribes,  about  fifty,  with  slight  modifications,  are 
found  in  one  or  other  of  the  Karen  dialects. 


SCRIPTURAL    TRADITIONS. 

GOD. 

"God. is  unchangeable,  eternal; 
He  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  world. 
God  is  endless  and  eternal ; 
He  existed  in  the  beginning  of  the  world. 
God  is  truly  unchangeable  and  eternal; 
He  existed  in  ancient  time,  at  the  beginning  of  the  world. 
The  life  of  God  is  endless ; 

A  succession  of  worlds  does  not  measure  his  existence; 
Two  successions  of  worlds  do  not  measure  his  existence. 
God  is  perfect  in  every  meritorious  attribute. 
And  dies  not  in  succession  on  succession  of  worlds." 

"  The   Omnipotent  is  God  ; 
Him  have  we  not  believed. 
This  Omnipotent  one 
We  have  not  believed." 

"  God  created  men  anciently ; 
He  has  a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  things. 
God  created  men  at  the  beginning  ; 
He  knows  all  things  to  the  present  time." 

"  O  my  children  and  grandchildren  !  the  earth  is  the  treading- 
place  of  the  feet  of  God,  and  heaven  is  the  place  where  he  sits. 
He  sees  all  things,  and  we  are  manifest  to  him." 


99  APPENDIX. 

"  God  is  not  far  off.  He  is  among  us.  He  has  only  separated 
himself  from  us  by  a  single  thickness  of  white.  Children,  it  is 
because  men  are  not  upright,  that  they  do  not  see  God." 

"  Father  God  said,  My  son  and  daughter,  Father  will  make  and 
give  you  a  garden.  In  the  garden  are  seven  different  kinds  of  trees, 
bearing  seven  different  kinds  of  fruit.  Among  the  seven,  one  tree  is 
not  good  to  eat.  Eat  not  of  its  fruit.  If  you  eat  you  will  become  old, 
you  will  die.  Eat  not.  All  I  have  created  I  give  to  you.  Eat  and 
drink  with  care.  Once  in  seven  days  I  will  visit  you.  All  I  have 
commanded  you,  observe  and  do.  Forget  me  not.  Pray  to  me  every 
morning  and  night."  

The    Temptation   and  Fall "  Afterwards  Satan   came  and  said, 

•  Why  are  you  here  .'' '  '  Our  Father  God  put  us  here,'  they  replied. 
'  What  do  you  eat  here  ? '  Satan  inquired.  '  Our  Father  God  created 
food  and  drink  for  us ;  food  without  end.'  Satan  said,  '  Show  me 
your  food.'  And  they  went,  with  Satan  following  behind  them,  to 
show  him.  On  arriving  at  the  garden,  they  showed  him  the  fruits, 
saying,  'This  is  sweet,  this  is  sour,  this  is  bitter,  this  is  astringent, 
this  is  savory,  this  is  fiery  ;  but  this  tree,  we  know  not  whether  it  ia 
sour  or  sweet.  Our  Father  God  said  to  us,  Eat  not  the  fruit  of  this 
tree  ;  if  you  eat,  you  will  die.  W^e  eat  not,  and  do  not  know  whether 
it  be  sour  or  sweet.'  '  Not  so,  O  my  children,'  Satan  replied  ;  'the 
heart  of  your  Father  God  is  not  with  you  ;  this  is  the  richest  and 
sweetest.  It  is  richer  than  the  others,  sweeter  than  the  others  ;  and 
not  merely  richer  and  sweeter,  but,  if  you  eat  it,  you  will  possess  mi- 
raculous powers ;  you  will  be  able  to  ascend  into  heaven,  and  descend 
into  the  earth  ;  you  will  be  able  to  fly.  The  heart  of  your  God  is  not 
with  you.  This  desirable  thing  he  has  not  given  you.  My  heart  is 
not  like  the  heart  of  your  God.  He  is  not  honest.  He  is  envious.  I 
am  honest.  I  am  not  envious.  I  love  you,  and  tell  you  the  whole. 
Your  Father  God  does  not  love  you ;  he  did  not  tell  you  the  whole. 
If  you  do  not  believe  me,  do  not  eat  it.  Let  each  one  eat,,  carefully, 
a  single  fruit ;  then  you  will  know.'  The  man  replied,  '  Our  Father 
God  said  to  us,  Eat  not  the  fruit  of  this  tree,  and  we  eat  it  not.'  Thus 
saying,  he  rose  up  and  went  away.  But  the  woman  listened  to  Satan, 
and  thinking  what  he  said  rather  proper,  remained.  Satan  deceived 
her  completely;  and  she  said  to  him,  'If  we  eat,  shall  we,  indeed, 
be  able  to  fly  .'"  '  My  son  and  daughter,'  Satan  replied,  '  I  persuade 
you  because  I  love  you.'  The  woman  took  one  of  the  fruit  and  ate. 
And  Satan,  laughing,  said,  '  My  daughter,  you  listen  to  me  well ;  now 
go,  give  the  fruit  to  your  husband,  and  say  to  him,  I  have  eaten  the 
fruit ;  it  is  exceedingly  rich.  If  he  does  not  eat,  deceive  him,  that  he 
mny  eat.'  The  woman,  doing  as  Satan  told  her,  went  and  coaxed 
her  husband,  till  she  won  him  over  to  her  own  mind,  and  he  took  the 
fruit  from  the  hand  of  his  wife  and  ate.  When  he  had  eaten,  she 
went  to  Satan,  and  said,  '  My  husband  has  eaten  the  fruit.'  On 
hearing  that,  he  laughed  exceedingly,  and  said,  '  Now  you  have  list- 
ened to  me,  very  good,  my  son  and  daughter.'  " 

Tlie  Curse.  —  "  The  day  after  they  had  eaten,  early  in  the  morning, 
God  visited  them  ;  but  they  did  not  (as  they  bad  been  wont  to  do) 
follow  him,  singing  praises.  He  approached  them,  and  said,  '  Why 
have  you  eaten  the  fruit  of  the  tree  that  I  commanded  you  not  to 
eat !  '  They  did  not  dare  to  reply,  and  (Jod  cursed  them.  '  Now 
you  have  not  observed  what  I  commanded  you,'  he  said  ;  'the  fruit 
that  is  not  good  to  eat,  I  told  you  not  to  eat ;  but  you  have  not  list 


SCRIPTURAL    PRECEPTS.  99 

ened,  and  have  eaten.    Therefore  you  shall  become  old,  you  shall 
be  sick,  and  you  shall  die.'  " 

Origin  of  Sacrifices  to  Demons.  — "  After  this,  one  of  their  children 
became  very  sick,  and  the  man  and  his  wife  said  to  each  other,  We 
did  not  observe  God's  command,  'Of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  eat  not,' 
but  we  ate.  Now,  what  shall  we  do?  Grod  has  cast  us  off;  we  can- 
not tell  what  to  do.  We  must  go  and  see  Satan,  and  ask  him.  They 
arose  and  went  to  him.  '  O  Satan,'  they  said,  '  God  commanded  us, 
Eat  not  of  that  fruit.  Thou  saidst.  Eat ;  and  we  hearkened  to  thy 
words,  and  ate.  Now,  our  child  is  sick  ;  what  wilt  thou  say  ?  What 
wilt  thou  devise?'  Satan  replied,  'To  your  Father  God  you  did 
not  hearken ;  you  hearkened  unto  me ;  now  that  you  have  heark- 
ened unto  me,  hearken  unto  me  to  the  end.' " 


SCRIPTURAL  PRECEPTS. 

Love  to  Ood — "O  children  and  grandchildren!  love  God,  and 
never  so  much  as  mention  his  name  ;  for,  by  speaking  his  name,  he 
goes  farther  and  farther  from  us." 

Prayer — "  O  children  and  grandchildren  !  pray  to  God  constantly, 
by  day  and  by  night." 

Repentance  and  Prayer.  —  "  O  children  and  grandchildren  !  if  we 
repent  of  our  sins,  and  cease  to  do  evil,  restraining  our  passions, 
and  pray  to  God,  he  will  have  mercy  upon  us  again.  If  God  does 
not  have  mercy  on  us,  there  is  no  other  one  that  can.  He  who 
saves  us  is  the  only  one  God.". 

Idolatry.  —  "O  children  and  grandchildren!  do  not  worship  idols 
or  priests.  If  you  worship  them,  you  obtain  no  advantage  thereby, 
while  you  increase  your  sins  exceedingly." 

Honor  to  Parents.  —  "O  children  and  grandchildren!  respect  and 
reverence  your  mother  and  father;  for,  when  you  were  small,  they 
did  not  suffer  so  much  as  a  mosquito  to  bite  you.  To  sin  against 
your  parents  is  a  heinous  crime." 

"  If  your  father  or  mother  instructs  or  beats  you,  fear.  If  you  fear 
not,  the  tigers  will  not  fear  you." 

Love  to  Others.  —  "  O  children  and  grandchildren  !  do  not  be  fond 
of  quarrelling  and  disputings,  but  love  each  other.  God  in  heaven 
looks  down  upon  us ;  and  if  we  do  not  love  each  other,  it  is  the 
same  as  if  we  did  not  love  God.  O  children  and  grandchildren  ! 
quarrel  not,  but  love  each  other." 

Rewards  and  Punishments.  —  "Good  persons,  the  good, 
Shall  go  to  heaven : 
Righteous  persons,  the  righteous. 
Shall  arrive  at  heaven. 
Unrighteous  persons,  the  unrighteous, 
At  death  go  to  hell :  , 


100  APPENDIX. 


Wicked  persons,  the  bad, 
Shall  fall  into  the  fire  of  hell : 
Wicked  persons,  the  wicked. 
Shall  fall  into  the  deepest  hell." 


NATIONAL  TRADITIONS. 

^People  beloved  of  God.  — "  O  children  and  grandchildren  !  formerly 
God  loved  the  Karen  nation  above  all  others  ;  but  they  transgressed 
his  commands,  and,  in  consequence  of  their  transgressions,  we  suffer 
as  at  present.  Because  God  cursed  us,  we  are  in  our  present  afflicted 
state,  and  have  no  books.  But  God  will  again  have  mercy  on  us,  and 
again  he  will  love  us  above  others.  God  will  yet  save  us  again  ;  it  is  on 
account  of  our  listening  to  the  language  of  Satan,  that  we  thus  suffer." 

The    Word  of  God. —  In  one   of  their  old  war  songs, 
the  Sgau  Karens  boast  in  possessing  the  word  of  God. 

"Though  thou  sayest  the  Pghos  are  insignificant, 
Thou  must  pay  a  fine  for  killing  them. — 
The  Sgaus  have  the  word  of  Jehovah : 
They  will  pay  no  fine  for  the  life  of  a  Pgho." 

Departure  of  God. — Many  of  the  Karen  traditions,  both 
in  prose  and  verse,  allude  to  the  departure  of  God ;  but  to 
what  event  reference  is  had,  it  is  difficult  to  say,  for  all 
the  accounts  are  evidently  fabulous  in  their  details.  For 
instance,  "  The  elders  said,  that  God,  returning  anciently, 
said  to  the  Karens,  '  Karen,  guide  me.'  The  Karens  re- 
plied, '  The  weeds  are  very  thick  ;  we  cannot  guide  thee.' 
And  God  said,  '  May  you  pull  up  weeds  generation  after 
generation.'  Coming  to  the  Burmans,  he  said,  '  Burman, 
guide  me.'  The  Burmans  replied,  '  We  are  hewing  out 
a  canoe  ;  we  cannot  guide  thee.'  And  God  said,  '  May 
you  hew  out  canoes  generation  after  generation.'  So 
said  one  after  another,  in  succession,  till  he  came  to  the 
white  foreigners,  the  youngest  brother,  to  whom  he  said, 
'White  foreigner,  guide  me,'  The  white  foreigner  re- 
plied, '  I  have  no  ship,  no  boat ;  I  cannot  guide  thee  ;  but 
I  wish  to  guide  thee.'  Then  God  made  him  take  off  his 
hat  and  put  it  in  the  sea,  and  it  became  a  large,  golden 
ship  ;  in  which  they  conducted  God  away  to  the  west. 
When  they  arrived,  God  blessed  them,  saying,  '  May 
you  ride  in  ships  and  boats  ;  may  you  cross  waters  and 
reach  lands ;  may  you  dress  in  fine  clothes ;  may  you  be 


FUNERAL    RITES.  101 

handsome  ;  may  you  have  rulers  from  among  yourselves ; 
may  you  have  large  towns  and  great  cities.'  Then  God 
went  up  to  heaven,  and  the  white  foreigners  returned. 
Henceitisthat  the  white  foreigners  are  more  skilful  than 
all  other  nations,  and  ride  in  ships  to  the  present  time." 

Return  of  God.  —  The  return  of  God  is  confidently 
expected ;  and  the  dead  trees  are  represented  as  blossom- 
ing on  his  arrival. 

"  At  the  appointed  season,  God  will  come ; 
The  dead  trees  will  blossom  and  flower: 
When  the  appointed  season  comes,  God  will  arrive; 
The  mouldering  trees  will  blossom  and  bloom  again: 
God  will  come  and  bring  the  great  Thau-thee  j 
We  must  worship,  both  great  and  small." 

King.  —  Many  of  their  compositions  represent  them  as 
expecting  great  temporal  prosperity  under  their  own  kings. 

"  O  children  and  grandchildren  !  the  Karens  will  yet  dwell  in  the 
city  with  the  golden  palace.  If  we  do  well,  the  existence  of  other 
kings  is  at  an  end.  The  Karen  king  will  yet  appear,  and  when  he 
arrives  there  will  be  happiness." 


FUNERAL  RITES. 


Death  is  a  fearful  event  to  a  Karen.  Whenever  the 
death  of  an  individual  is  announced,  the  man  drops  his 
axe,  the  woman  her  shuttle,  and  the  child  his  toy,  not  to 
be  resumed  again  that  day  ;  and  the  unfinished  work, 
never.  The  house,  or  canoe,  or  other  article,  on  which 
the  man  was  at  work  when  the  intelligence  reached  him, 
is  abandoned  to  the  beasts  of  the  forest ;  and  the  labors 
of  the  loom  are  given  to  the  worms,  as  articles  more 
deadly  than  the  tunic  of  Nessus.  The  corpse  is  band- 
aged up  in  cloths,  or  mats,  shortly  after  the  person  has 
expired,  so  that  no  part  is  visible  ;  and  then  the  spirits  of 
deceased  relatives  are  called  to  visit  the  person  who  has 
just  died,  and  guide  him  to  Hades.  Rice  is  next  poured 
down  at  the  head  and  feet  of  the  corpse,  and  a  basket, 
such  as  a  Karen  carries  on  his  back,  with  an  axe,  a  knife, 
a  bag,  a  cooking  pot,  and  a  drinking  cup,  are  placed  by 
its  side,  while  one  exclaims,  "  O  dead  !  eat,  as  in  thy 
state  of  consciousness  on  earth  ;  eat,  fear   not,  be  not 

9* 


102  APPENDIX. 

ashamed."  As  the  neighbors  and  friends  arrive  at  the 
house,  each  one  expresses  his  grief  in  expressions  like 
the  following  :  Alas  !  what  is  this  !  Now  I  am  afflicted, 
indeed.  Alas  !  alas  !  formerly  thou  conversedst  happily 
with  me.  Alas  !  what  shall  I  do  !  O  Lord,  take  this  my 
friend,  and  suffer  him  not  to  go  where  he  will  be  sub- 
jected to  suffering." 

It  the  visitor  comes  from  a  distance,  food  is  brought 
out,  and  before  he  eats,  addressing  the  corpse,  he  says, 
"  O  deceased  !  eat  and  drink  ;  eat  and  drink,  as  in  thy 
state  of  consciousness  formerly." 

When  evening  comes,  lights,  that  burn  for  a  short 
time  only,  are  placed  near  the  head  and  feet  of  the  corpse, 
to  represent  the  evening  and  morning  stars,  which,  in 
their  legendary  lore,  are  lights  showing  departed  spirits 
the  way  to  Hades  ;  and  believing,  as  they  do,  that  that 
v/orld  is  antipodal  to  this,  they  say  to  the  corpse,  "  The 
foot  of  the  tree  is  there,"  pointing  to  the  summit  of  a 
tree  ;  "  The  tops  of  the  trees  are  there,"  pointing  to  the 
roots;  "The  west  is  there,"  pointing  to  the  east;  and 
"  The  east  is  there,"  pointing  to  the  west.  At  the  close  of 
this  address,  the  people  commence  singing  the  following 
lines  :  — 

"  The  light  at  the  head  of  the  corpse  is  red,  red, 
The  light  at  the  foot  of  the  corpse  is  red,  red. 
He  goes  with  a  torch,  the  morning  star, 
He  goes  with  a  light,  the  morning  star." 

Hot  water  is  next  poured  out  near  the  head  and  feet  of 
the  corpse,  which  closes  all  the  regular  ceremonies  till 
the  burning  of  the  body,  which  may  occur  next  morning, 
or  be  delayed  a  day  or  two. 

The  interval  is  occupied  with  drinking  and  singing, 
slowly  marching  round  the  corpse.  The  compositions 
that  are  sung  often  partake  of  a  dramatic  character,  and 
the  dialogue  is  sung  by  men  and  women  alternately,  and 
are  usually  but  ill  adapted  to  the  solemnities  of  the  oc- 
casion. 

In  the  morning,  when  the  body  is  burned,  a  bone  is 
taken  from  the  ashes,  and  preserved  with  great  care  till  a 
convenient  time  for  assembling  a  large  concourse  of 
people.  Booths  are  then  built  on  the  bank  of  some 
ptream,  a  feast  made,  and  the  ceremonies  renewed  around 
the  bone,  which  have  been  described  above  as  performed 


FUNERAL    RITES.  103. 

around  the  body.  On  the  evening  of  the  day  that  the 
bone  is  buried,  the  friends  of  the  deceased  assemble 
around  the  bone,  and  sing  a  dirge. 

At  the  close  of  the  ceremonies  around  the  bone,  a  ban- 
gle is  hung  up,  and  a  cup  of  r'ce  placed  under  it.  The 
departed  spirit  is  then  calle<^  ,  for  it  is  supposed  to  be 
hovering  around,  till  the  funeral  rites  are  completed. 
When  the  spirit  answers  the  call,  the  string  trembles, 
the  bangle  turns  round,  and  the  string  snaps  in  two  as 
if  by  miracle.  If  no  answer  is  returned,  the  spirit  is 
gone  to  hell.  When  he  signifies  that  he  is  present,  he 
is  guided  to  the  graveyard,  which  is  always  one  of  the 
best  spots  in  the  neighborhood.  Here  the  bone  is  buried, 
and  money,  with  other  articles,  thrown  on  the  grave. 
Should  any  one  take  the  money  that  is  left  on  a  grave, 
he  would  become  childless,  and  his  family  extinct,  which 
is  a  sufficient  terror  to  a  Karen  to  keep  him  honest. 
After  burying  the  bone,  the  spirit  is  addressed  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Now  thou  mayst  go  to  thy  land,  thy  country, 
thy  kingdom.  When  thou  arrivest,  do  not  forget  us.  We 
shall  come  to  thee.  Go  not  to  hell ;  go  to  the  abodes  of 
bliss.  As  to  this  silver,  if  thou  art  taken  by  force,  buy 
thyself  with  it.  Go.  Here  is  thy  small  house  ;  thy 
great   house   is  on  the   River  Naudokwa.     Go." 

The  Karens  suppose  that  these  ceremonies  are  of  a 
comparatively  recent  origin,  and  say  that  they  formerly 
buried  their  dead.  Burning  the  body  and  singing  around 
the  bone  were  first  introduced,  as  some  of  their  traditions 
say,  by  an  individual  of  the  name  of  Mautau,  to  whom 
many  of  the  songs  are  attributed.  Others  charge  the 
whole  on  Satan  himself;  to  which  I  see  no  special  ob- 
jection, for  their  funerals  are  complete  scenes  of  bac- 
chanalian revelry,  in  which  the  spirit  of  Satan  most 
certainly  presides. 


PROPHETS. 


"There  are  two  classes  of  prophets,"  say  the  elders; 
"  the  one  holds  communication  with  demons ;  the  other 
with  God."  And  after  adding  that  the  good  prophets 
are  not  now  sent  unto  them,  on  account  of  their  disc- 


104 


APPENDIX. 


bedience,  they  say,  "  God  would  have  given  us  one 
for  each  generation ;  but  because  we  did  not  obey, 
prophets  abound,  and  they  are  unrighteous."  These 
existing  prophets  confine  themselves  to  directing  what 
offerings  shall  be  made  to  appease  the  demons,  that 
are  supposed  to  produce  sickness  ;  and  they  are  con- 
stantly consulted  for  this  purpose.  They  pretend  to 
hold  a  conversation  with  unseen  spirits,  when  applica- 
tions are  made  to  them  for  information,  and  according 
to  the  response  of  the  "familiar  spirit,"  they  decide. 

There  is  another  class  of  persons,  called  Bukhos,  who 
are  more  directly  connected  with  the  worship  of  God, 
and  who  often  unite  the  character  of  extraordinary  re- 
ligious teacher  with  that  of  prophet.  These  Bukhos 
usually,  if  not  uniformly,  condemn  the  practice  of 
making  offerings  to  demons,  and  represent  to  the  peo- 
ple that  God  is,  in  some  way  or  other,  about  to  appear 
for  their  salvation. 

A  distinguished  one,  who  lives  about  ten  days'  jour- 
ney up  the  Yun-za-len,  a  tributary  of  the  Salwen,  that 
rises  near  Toung-u,  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  Judson,  in  his 
journal  of  May,  1832,  as  "an  extraordinary  young  man 
of  twenty,  who,  while  he  pretends  to  hold  communica- 
tion with  the  invisible  world,  professes  also  to  be  desirous 
of  finding  the  true  God,  and  becoming  acquainted  with 
the  true  religion.  Our  people  remained  with  him  three 
days;  during  which  time,  they  were  surrounded  with  a 
crowd  of  his  followers,  and  were  obliged  to  preach  day 
and  night." 

I  visited  this  prophet  in  the  year  1837,  and  found  him, 
like  many  others  with  whom  I  have  met  in  my  travels, 
without  any  settled  principles,  unless  a  heterogeneous 
mixture  of  old  Karen  traditions  and  Boodhism  can  be 
called  such.  His  leading  object,  as  with  most  of  his 
class,  seemed  to  be,  to  give  himself  importance,  and 
acquire  an  influence  over  the  people.  In  this,  he  ap- 
pears to  have  succeeded  tolerably  well ;  for  at  the  last 
dates,  he  had  successfully  headed  a  revolt  of  the  Karens 
against  the  Burmans,  and  compelled  a  detachment  of 
their  soldiers,  that  was  sent  against  him,  to  retire.       * 

One  of  the  most  extraordinary  of  these  men  is  the 
one  that  brought  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  to  Mr 
Boardman. 


ROMANCE    OF    MISSIONS.  105 


ROMANCE  OF  MISSIONS. 

In  Christian  lands,  there  is  a  halo  of  romance  some- 
times thrown  around  the  mission  enterprise,  which  the 
realities  of  life  often  dissipate  ;  but  still  oftener,  scenes 
of  surpassing  interest  are  witnessed  on  missionary  ground, 
whose  bright  colors  are  never  seen  at  home. 

The  history  of  the  introduction  of  Christianity  among 
the  Karens  is,  perhaps,  too  full  of  "  truth  stranger  than 
fiction  "  to  be  believed  by  those  who  have  not  been  act- 
ors in  the  scenes  themselves.  Take  Mergui,  for  a  single 
instance.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade  were  the  first  to  visit  the 
Karen  villages  of  Mergui  with  the  gospel ;  and  a  more 
interesting  reception  than  was  given  them,  it  were  diffi- 
cult to  find  on  record.  They  were  led  by  an  intelligent 
chief,  now  a  pillar  in  the  church,  and  were  met  on  their 
arrival  by  "several  young  women,  whom  he  had  invited, 
among  others,  to  meet  them,"  singing  a  hymn,  of  which 
the  first  verse  and  chorus  was, 

"  The  Lord  his  messengers  doth  send, 
And  he  himself  will  quickly  come  ; 
The  priests  of  Boodh,  whose  reign  is  short, 
Must  leave  the  place  to  make  them  room." 

Three  or  four  years  afterwards,  the  writer  of  these 
pages  entered  the  province  at  its  other  extremity  ;  and 
writing  on  the  spot,  he  says,  "  My  entrance  into  this 
village  reminded  me  of  Paul's  into  Lystra.  The  people 
almost  quarrelled  for  the  honor  of  receiving  me  ;  each 
protesting,  '  My  house  is  the  best.'  They  had  never 
heard  of  the  gospel  before,  and  were  more  attentive,  and 
quite  as  orderly  at  worship  as  any  Christian  congregation 
I  ever  saw." 

These  people  now  form  a  part  of  the  settlement  at 
Te-wa,  where  there  is  a  flourishing  little  church. 

On  descending  the  river,  two  days'  journey  farther 
south,  "  We  met,"  says  the  journal,  "  with  a  religious 
teacher  and  his  wife,  who  live  in  the  neighborhood. 
They  begged  us  to  stop ;  but,  after  a  little  conversation, 
they  concluded  to  return,  and  started  on  before  us.  On 
reaching  his  house,  where  I  now  am,  we  found  every 
thing  prepared  for  us,  in  the  very  first  of  Karen  style, 
with  their  garments  spread  on  the  floor,  for  me  to  walk 


106  APPENDIX. 

upon  from  one  room  to  another.  While  listening  to  the 
reading  of  the  ♦  View,'  *  in  Karen,  he  occasionally  ex- 
claimed, 'The  Lord,'  'The  Lord,'  'The  Lord.'  He  has 
built  an  addition  to  his  house  as  a  place  of  worship  ;  and 
himself  and  such  of  his  neighbors  as  are  disposed  assem- 
ble every  night  to  worship,  where  they  pray  and  sing 
hymns.  In  his  place  of  worship  I  found  a  shrine,  sur- 
rounded with  something  resembling  a  Chinese  pagoda, 
and  many  ridiculous  ornaments.  I  told  him  these  things 
were  not  proper.  'Well,  then,'  said  he,  '  I  will  destroy 
them,  if  you  say  they  are  wrong.  I  made  them  through 
ignorance,  not  knowing  what  was  proper.  I  have  been 
long  living  in  hopes  that  I  should  see  a  teacher  among 
us,  and,  now  you  have  come,  I  am  determined  to  do  as 
you  say.'  " 

"  I  was  awaked  in  the  middle  of  the  night  by  the 
singing  of  some  women  in  the  next  room,  who  composed 
as  they  sung.     I  caught  a  few  verses."  —  • 

"  If  we  know  the  Lord  Jesus  Clirist, 
We  are  delivered  from  our  sins  j 
Whoever  knows  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
Is  delivered  from  his  sins. 
Upon  the  whole  earth 
No  other  God  should  be  worshipped ; 
Throughout  the  whole  earth 
No  other  God  should  be  worshipped. 
Praise  the  law  of  God  ; 
It  is  pure  as  water,  even  as  sand ; 
Praise  the  truth  of  God  ; 
It  is  pleasant  as  water,  smooth  as  iron." 

This  man  and  his  wife,  with  many  of  their  neighbors, 
were  subsequently  baptized,  and  formed  the  little  church 
at  Tamla,  most  of  whose  members  have  since  moved  up 
the  river  to  Mata. 

Ten  days  later,  on  returning  to  Tavoy  from  Mergui,  by 
the  seaboard,  through  the  Burman  villages,  we  lost  our 
way,  the  day  after  leaving  Mergui,  as  detailed  in  the  fol- 
lowing communication,  written  a  few  years  after. 

"  My  cogitations  were  interrupted  by  a  man  behind 
calling  out,  in  his  idiom,  '  The  road  is  lost.'  Sure  enough, 
the  road  was  gone,  and  we  soon  found  ourselves  on  the 
edge  of  a  dismal  swamp,  covered  by  a  species  of  ficus, 
with  its  thousand  arms,  the  sure  index  of  inextricable 
mazes  and  inundating  tide  waters. 

*  The  title  of  a  tract.  —  E. 


ROMANCE    OF    MISSIONS.  107 

"•'  Having  been  walking  from  the  first  blush  of  morn,  with 
a  view  to  reaching  a  small  Burman  village  by  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon,  we  were  sufficiently  fatigued  to  lie 
down,  and  wait  for  the  fresh  impetus  of  the  morrow ;  but 
unfortunately,  our  scrip  was  out,  and  every  voice  coun- 
selled to  move  on  ;  but  in  what  direction  was  not  so  clear. 
After  a  short  pause,  the  Karens  instinctively  turned  to 
the  mountains,  and  we  plunged  through  a  thick  under- 
growth of  briers  and  creepers. 

'The  tropic  sun  had  laid  his  burning  head 
On  twilight's  lap,' 

when  we  suddenly  found  ourselves  on  the  banks  of  a 
mountain  stream,  and  entered  a  path  that  appeared  to 
lead  to  a  Karen  house.  The  energy  of  hope  carried  us 
up  the  hills,  till  the  last  gleam  of  day  died  away,  and  the 
stars  of  night  hung  trembling  in  the  heavens.  We 
reached  afield  that  had  been  cultivated  ;  but,  alas  !  it  had 
also  been  abandoned.  Nature  was  exhausted ;  and,  after 
making  a  fire,  to  keep  away  the  tigers  heard  around,  we 
spent  a  few  minutes  in  considering  the  passage,  '  Thy  will 
be  done,'  and  closed  with  prayer  and  praise  to  Him  that 
doeth  all  things  well.  Not  having  either  dinner  nor  sup- 
per to  prepare,  our  arrangements  for  the  night  were  soon 
made.  I  moved  away  the  large  stones  in  a  small  ravine, 
and,  under  a  few  wild  plaintain  leaves  to  defend  me  from 
the  dew,  lay  down  to  sleep  to  the  music  of  a  sleepless 
brook,  that  rolled  at  my  feet.  We  awoke  with  the  wailing 
cry  of  the  long-armed  apes,  bounding  from  tree  to  tree 
in  the  forests  beyond  us.  'The  morning  has  whitened,' 
said  a  Karen  at  my  side,  pointing  to  the  first  glow  of 
dawn  on  the  mountain  summit;  and  while  the  njorning 
fog  swept  in  gigantic  fleeces  over  the  plain  below,  except 
an  occasional  knoll  peering  above  its  waves,  like  an  island: 
in  the  ocean,  we  commenced  retracing  our  steps  down 
the  hill  to  a  path  at  the  foot,  that  had  been  observed 
leading  to  the  north.  Endeavoring  to  conjecture  in  what 
way  our  losing  the  road  would  be  overruled  to  our  profit 
and  usefulness,  we  moved  on  till  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  when 
our  eyes  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  a  Karen  house. 
An  old  man  on  the  veranda  gazed  at  us  a  few  moments 
in  immovable  silence,  like  the  deer  of  his  native  hills, 
and  then,  turning  to  his  family  in  the  house,  he  called  out, 
*The  teacher  has  arrived  ;  the  teacher  has  arrived.'     The 


108 


APPENDIX. 


next  moment  he  was  before  me,  saying,  '  I  will  show 
you  to  the  zayat.  It  is  close  by  5  only  a  call  distant.' 
This  was  passing  strange  to  me ;  but  as  it  appeared  all  a 
thing  of  course  to  the  old  man,  1  followed  on  to  a  more 
than  ordinarily  comfortable  zayat  in  the  neighborhood  of 
some  Karen  houses,  whose  inmates  were  soon  around 
me,  like  Cornelius  and  his  friends,  looking,  though  not 
saying,  '  We  are  all  here  present  before  God  to  hear  the 
things  commanded  thee  of  God  !  '  It  appeared,  on  ex- 
planation, that  it  had  been  told  them,  '  The  teacher  is  in 
the  jungle,  and  will  call  on  you.  You  must  build  a  zayat 
for  his  reception,  and  listen  to  his  precepts.'  The  zayat 
was  just  completed,  and  they  were  looking  for  my  arrival 
daily,  when  I  lost  my  way  ;  and  instead  of  leaving  their 
settlement  many  miles  to  the  eastward,  as  I  intended,  I 
was  most  unintentionally  led  among  them.  I  had  fallen 
on  an  oasis  in  the  desert,  and  here  a  few  days  were  spent 
which  afford  pleasure  in  the  retrospect,  and  will  afford 
pleasure,  it  is  believed,  in  eternity.  W6  parted  with 
mutual  regret,  the  people  loading  us  with  substantial 
proofs  of  their  attachment  in  the  shape  of  rice,  fowls, 
eggs,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  and  sugar-cane  ;  while  their 
last  words  were,  '  You  must  come  again  next  year,  and 
baptize  us.'  Another  year  came,  and  another,  and  an- 
other;  each  year  bringing  with  it  that  share  of  culture  to 
this  little  spot,  which  the  missionary  and  his  native  as- 
sistants could  spare  from  a  large  field  with  numerous  and 
urgent  demands.  The  result  was,  a  Christian  population 
of  about  fifty,  nearly  twenty  of  whom  have  learned  to 
read,  and  more  than  twenty  of  whom  have  united  with  a 
Christian  church  on  a  profession  of  faith."  They  now 
form  a  part  of  the  flourishing  village  of  Ka-bin. 

"  From  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth  we  hear  songs  j 
'  Glory  to  the  righteous.' 
For  as  the  earth  bringeth  forth  her  bud, 
And  as  the  garden  causeth  the  things  that  are  sown  in  it 
to  spring  forth, 
So  the  Lord  God  will  cause  righteousness  and  praise 
To  spring  forth  before  all  the  nations."  * 

•  I>3dah  24 :  11.  61 :  11. 


END. 


CATALOGUE 

OF     VALUABLE     WORKS     PUBLISHED     BY 

GOULD,    KENDALL    AND    LINCOLN, 

NO.   59,    WASHINGTON    STREET, 

BOSTON. 


The  attention  of  the  public  is  invited  to  an  examination  of  the  merits  of  the 
■works  described  in  this  Catalogue,  embracing  valuable  contributions  to  General 
Literature,  Science,  and  Theology. 

Besides  their  own  publications,  they  have  a  general  assortment  of  books  in 
the  various  departments  of  literature,  and  can  supply  every  thing  in  their  ILne 
of  business  on  the  lowest  terms,  wholesale  and  retail. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  ZOOLOGY;  Touching  the  Structure,  Devel- 
opment, Distribution,  and  Natural  Arrangement  of  the  Races 
OF  Animals,  living  and  extinct,  with  numerous  illustrations. 
For  the  use  of  Schools  and  Colleges.  Part  L,  Compakatlvh 
Physiology.    By  Louis  Agassiz  and  Augustus  A.  Gould. 

"  The  design  of  this  work  is  to  furnish  an  epitome  of  the  leading  principles 
o{  the  science  of  Zoology,  as  deduced  from  the  present  state  of  knowledge,  eo 
illustrated  as  to  be  intelligible  to  the  beginning  student.  No  similar  treatise 
now  exists  in  this  country,  and  indeed,  some  of  the  topics  have  not  been 
touched  upon  in  the  language,  unless  in  a  strictly  technical  form,  and  in 
scattered  articles." 

"Being  designed  for  American  students,  the  illustrations  have  been  drawn, 
as  far  as  possible,  from  American  objects.  *  *  *  Popular  names  have  been 
employed  as  far  as  possible,  and  to  the  scientific  names  an  English  termination 
has  generally  been  given.  The  first  part  is  devoted  to  Comparative  Piiysiology, 
as  the  basis  of  Classification;  the  second,  to  Systematic  Zoology,  in. which  the 
principles  of  Classification  will  be  applied,  and  the  principal  groups  of  animals 
Driefly  characterized."  —  Extracts /rom  the  Pre/ace. 

MODERN  FRENCH  LITERATURE;  By  L.  Raymond  De 

VericouPv,  formerly  lecturer  in' the  Royal  Athenaeum  of  Paris, 
member  of  the  Institute  of  France,  &:c.  American  edition, 
brought  down  to  the  present  day,  and  revised  with  notes  by 
William  S.  Chase.     With  a  fine  portrait  of  Lamartine. 

*#*  This  Treatise  has  received  the  highest  praise  as  a  comprehensive  and 
thorough  survey  of  the  various  departments  of  Modern  French  Literature.- 
It  contains  biographical  and  critical  notes  of  all  the  prominent  names  in  PhU 
losophy.  Criticism,  History,  Romance,  Poetry,  and  the  Drama;  and  presents  n 
full  and  impartial  consideration  of  the  Political  Tendencies  of  France,  as  they 
may  be  traced  in  the  writings  of  authors  equally  conspicuous  as  Scholars  and 
as  Statesmen.  Mr.  Chase,  who  has  been  the  Parisian  correspondent  of  severa* 
leading  periodicals  of  this  country,  is  well  qualified,  from  a  prolonged  resi- 
dence in  France,  his  familiarity  with  its  Literature,  and  by  a  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  many  of  these  authors,  to  introduce  the  work  of  De  VericouT 
to  the  American  public. 

"This  is  the  only  complete  treatise  of  the  kind  on  this  subject,  either  ir 
French  or  English,  and  has  received  the  highest  commendation.  Mr.  Chase  is 
well  qualified  to  introduce  the  work  to  the  public.  The  book  cannot  fail  to  Do 
both  useful  and  popular."  —  New  York  Evening  Post. 


VALUABLE  SCHOOL  BOOKS. 


ELEMENTS  OF  MORAL  SCIENCE.  By  Francis  Wayland, 
D.D.  President  of  BroAvn  University,  and  Profess  )r  of  Moral 
Philosophy.  Thirty-sixth  Thousand.  12mo.,  cloth.  Price 
$1.25. 

From  Rev.  Wilbur  Fisk,  President  of  the  Wesleyan  University. 

•*I  have  examined  it  with  great  satisfoction  and  interest.  The  work  wns 
greatly  needed,  and  is  well  executed.  Dr.  Waj'land  deserves  the  grateful 
acknowledgments  and  liberal  patronage  of  the  public.  I  need  say  nothing 
further  to  express  my  high  estimate  of  the  work,  than  that  we  shall  immedi- 
ately adopt  it  as  a  text-book  in  our  university." 

From  Hon.  James  Kent,  late  Chancellor  of  Kew  Torlc. 

"  The  work  has  been  read  by  me  attentively  and  thoroughly,  and  I  think 
very  highly  of  it  The  author  himself  is  one  of  the  most  estimable  of  men, 
and  I  do  not  know  of  any  ethical  treatise,  in  which  our  duties  to  God  and  to 
our  fellow-men  are  laid  down  with  more  precision,  simplicity,  clearness, 
energy,  and  truth." 

"The  work  of  Dr.  "Wayland  has  arisen  gradually  from  the  necessity  of 
correcting  the  false  principles  and  fallacious  reasonings  of  Paley.  It  is  a 
radical  mistake,  in  the  education  of  youth,  to  permit  any  book  to  be  used 
by  students  as  a  text-book,  which  contains  erroneous  doctrines,  especially 
when  these  are  fundamental,  and  tend  to  vitiate  the  whole  system  of  morals. 
We  have  been  greatly  pleased  with  the  method  which  President  Waj'land  has 
adopted  ;  he  goes  back  to  the  simplest  and  most  fundamental  principles ;  and, 
in  the  statement  of  his  views,  he  unites  perspicuity  with  conciseness  and 
precision.  In  all  the  author's  leading  fundamental  principles  we  entirely 
concur."  —  Biblical  Eepository. 

MORAL  SCIENCE  ABRIDGED,  by  the  Author,  and  adapted  to 
the  use  of  Schools  and  Academies.  Twenty-fifth  Thousand. 
18mo.,  half  cloth.     Price  25  cents. 

The  more  effectually  lo  meet  the  desire  expressed  for  a  cheap  edition,  the  preBent 
edition  is  issued  at  the  reduced  price  of  25  cents  per  copy,  and  it  is  hoped  thereby  lo 
extend  the  benefit  of  moral  instruction  to  all  the  youth  of  our  land.  Teachers  and  all 
others  engaged  in  the  training  of  youth,  are  invited  to  examine  this  work. 

"  Dr.  Wayland  has  published  an  abridgment  of  his  work,  for  the  use  of 
■chools.  Of  this  step  we  can  hardly  speak  too  highly.  It  is  more  than  time 
that  the  study  of  moral  philosophy  should  be  introduced  into  all  our  institu- 
tiona  of  education.  We  are  happy  to  see  the  way  so  auspiciously  opened  for 
euch  an  introduction.  It  has  been  not  merely  abridged,  but  also  re-iorittev~ 
We  cannot  but  regard  the  labor  as  well  bestowed."  — Aorth  American  Review. 

"We  speak  that  we  do  know,  when  we  express  our  high  estimate  of  Dr. 
"Wavland's  ability  in  teaching  Moral  Philosophy,  whether  orally  or  by  the 
book.  Having  listened  to  his  instructions,  in  this  interesting  department,  we 
can  attest  how  lofty  are  the  principles,  how  exact  and  severe  the  argumenta- 
tion, how  appropriate  and  strong  the  illustrations  which  characterize  his 
system  and  enforce  it  on  the  mind."  —  The  Christian  Witness, 

"  The  work  of  which  this  volume  is  an  abridgment,  is  well  known  as  one  of 
the  best  and  most  complete  works  on  Jloral  Philosophy  extant.  The  author 
is  well  known  as  one  of  the  most  profound  scholars  of  the  age.  That  the  study 
of  Moral  Science,  a  science  which  teaches  goodness,  should  be  a  branch  of 
education,  not  only  in  our  colleges,  but  in  our  schools  and  academies,  we 
believe  will  not  be  denied.  The  abridgment  of  this  work  seems  to  us  admi- 
rably calculated  for  the  purpose,  and  we  hope  it  will  be  extensively  applied 
to  the  purposes  for  which  it  is  intended."  —  The  Mercantile  Journal, 


VALUABLE  SCHOOL  BOOKS. 


THE  ELEMENTS  OF  POLITICAL  ECONOMY.  By  Francis 
Wayland,  D.D.,  President  of  Brown  University.  'Fifteenth 
Thousand.     12mo.,  cloth.     Price  $1.25. 

*'  His  object  has  been  to  write  a  book,  which  any  one  who  chooses  may 
understand.  Us  has,  therefore,  labored  to  express  the  general  principles  in 
the  plainest  manner  possible,  and  to  illustrate  them  by  cases  with  wliich 
every  person  is  fumiliar.  It  has  been  to  tlie  author  a  source  of  regret,  that  the 
course  of  discussion  in  the  following  pages,  has,  unavoidably,  led  him  over 
ground  which  has  frequently  been  the  aren  i  of  political  controversy.  In  all 
Buch  cases,  ho  lias  endeavored  to  state  what  seemed  to  him  to  be  truth, 
without  fear,  favor,  or  affection.  He  is  conscious  to  himself  of  no  bias  towards 
any  party  whatever,  and  he  thinlcs  that  he  wlio  will  read  tlie  whole  Vv'ork,  will 
be  convinced  that  he  has  beea  influenced  by  none."  —  Extract  from  Preface. 

POLITICAL   ECONOMY,  ABRIDGED,    by  the    Author,  and 

adapted    to  the   use  of    Schools   and   Academies.      Seventh 
Thousand.     18mo.,  half  morocco.     Price  60  cents. 

"The  original  work  of  the  author,  on  Political  Economy,  has  already  been 
noticed  on  our  pages  ;  and  tlie  present  abridgment  stands  in  no  need  of  a 
recommendation  from  us.  We  maybe  permitted,  however,  to  say,  that  both 
the  rising  and  risen  generations  are  deeply  indebted  to  Dr.  Wayland,  for  the 
skill  and  power  he  has  put  forth  to  bring  a  higlily  important  subject  distinctly 
before  them,  witliin  sucli  narrow  limits.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  this  will  form 
a  class-book,  and  be  faithfully  studied  in  our  academies;  and  that  it  will 
find  its  way  into  every  family  library.  It  is  fitted  to  enlarge  the  mind, 
to  purify  the  judgment,  to  correct  erroneous  popular  impressions,  and  assist 
every  man  in  forming  opinions  of  public  measures,  which  will  abide  the  test 
of  time  and  experience."  —  Boston  Recorder. 

"  "We  rejoice  to  see  such  treatises  spreading  among  the  people ;  and  we  urge 
nil  who  would  be  intelligent  freemen,  to  read  them."  —  New  York  Transcript. 

"It  is  well  adapted  to  high  schools,  and  embraces  the  soundest  system  of 
republican  political  economy  of  any  treatise  extant,"  —  Daily  Advocate, 

THOUGHTS  on  the  present  Collegiate  System  in  the  United 
States.     By  Francis  Wayland,  D.D.    Price  50  cents. 

"These  Thoughts  come  from  a  source  entitled  to  a  very  respectful  atten- 
tion ;  and  the  author  gees  over  the  whole  ground  of  collegiate  education,  criti- 
cising freely  all  the  arrangements  in  every  department  and  in  all  theii 
bearings." 

PALEY'S  NATURAL  THEOLOGY.  Illustrated  by  forty  plates 
and  Selections  from  the  notes  of  Dr.  Paxton,  with  additional 
Notes,  original  and  selected,  for  this  edition ;  with  a  vocabu- 
lary of  Scientific  Terms.  Edited  by  John  Ware,  M.D.  12mo., 
sheep.    Price  ^\.2b. 

"  The  work  before  us  is  one  which  deserves  rather  to  be  studied  than 
merely  read.  Indeed,  without  diligent  attention  and  study,  neither  the  excel- 
lences of  it  can  be  fully  discovered,  nor  its  advantages  realized.  It  is,  there- 
fore, gratifying  to  tind  it  introduced,  as  a  text-book,  into  the  colleges  and 
literary  institutions  of  our  country.  The  edition  before  us  is  superior  to  any 
■  we  have  seen,  and,  we  believe,  superior  to  any  that  has  yet  been  published." 

Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims. 

"  Perhaps  no  one  of  our  author's  works  gives  greater  satisfaction  to  all  classes 
of  readers,  the  young  and  the  old,  the  ignorant  and  the  enlightened.  Indeed, 
we  recollect  no  book  in  which  the  arguments  for  the  existence  and  attributes 
of  the  Supreme  Being  to  be  drawn  from  his  works,  are  exhibited  in  a  manner 
more  attractive  and  more  convincing."  —  Christian  Examiruir, 


VALUABLE  SCHOOL  BOOKS. 


BLAKE'S  FIRST  BOOK  IN  ASTRONONY.  Designed  for  the 
Use  of  Common  Schools.  By  J.  L.  Blake,  D.D.  Illustrated 
by  Steel  Plate  Engravings.     8vo.,  cloth  back.     Price  50  cents. 

From  E.  HincJdeij,  Prof,  of  Mathematics  in  2Taryland  University. 

"  I  am  much  indebted  to  you  for  a  copy  of  the  First  Book  in  Astronomy. 
It  is  a  work  of  utility  and  7iierit,  far  superior  to  any  other  which  I  have  seen. 
The  author  has  selected  his  topics  ■with  great  judgment,  —  arranged  them  in 
admirable  order,  —  exhibited  them  in  a  style  and  manner  at  once  tasteful  and 
philosophical.  Nothing  seems  wanting,  —  nothing  redundant.  It  is  truly  a 
very  beautiful  and  attractive  book,  calculated  to  afford  both  pleasure  and 
profit  to  all  who  may  enjoy  the  advantage  of  perusing  it." 

From  B.  Field,  Principal  of  the  Hancock  School,  Boston. 

"  I  know  of  no  other  work  on  Astronomy  so  well  calculated  to  interest 
and  instruct  young  learners  in  this  sublime  science." 

From  Isaac  Foster,  Instmctor  of  Youth,  Portland. 

"I  have  examined  Blake's  First  Book  in  Astronomy,  and  am  much  pleased 
with  it.  A  very  happy  selection  of  tt.  pics  is  presented  in  a  manner  which 
cannot  fail  to  interest  the  learner,  while  the  questions  will  assist  him  materi- 
ally in  fixing  in  the  memory  what  ought  to  be  retained.  It  leaves  the  most 
intricate  parts  of  the  subject  for  those  who  are  able  to  master  them,  and  brings 
before  the  young  pupil  only  what  can  be  made  intelligible  and  interesting 
to  him." 

"We  are  free  to  say,  that  it  is,  in  our  opinion,  decidedly  the  best  work 
■we  have  any  knowledge  of,  on  the  sublime  and  interesting  subject  of  Astron- 
omy. The  engravings  are  executed  in  a  superior  style,  and  the  mechanical 
appearance  of  the  book  is  extremely  prepossessing. — Evening  Gazette,  Boston. 

"  We  do  not  hesitate  to  recommend  it  to  the  notice  of  the  superintending 
committees,  teachers,  and  pupils  of  our  public  schools.  The  definitions  in  the 
first  part  of  the  volume  are  given  in  brief  and  clear  language,  adapted  to  the 
understanding  of  beginners."— 5!afe  i/eraW,  ^Y.  H. 

BLAKE'S  NATURAL  PHILOSOPHY.  Being  Conversations  on 
Philosophy,  with  the  addition  of  Explanatory  Notes,  Questions 
for  Examination,  and  a  Dictionary  of  Philosophical  Terms. 
With  twenty-eight  steel  Engravings.  By  J.  L.  Blake,  D.D. 
12mo.,  sheep.    Price  67  cents. 

*,*  Perhaps  no  work  has  contributed  so  much  as  this  to  excite  a  fondness 
for  the  study  of  Natural  Philosophy  in  youthful  minds.  The  familiar 
comparisons,  with  which  it  abounds,  awaken  interest,  and  rivet  the  attentioa 
of  the  pupil. 

From  Rev.  J,  Adams,  President  of  Charleston  College,  S.  C 

"I  h.ive  been  highly  gratified  with  the  perusal  of  your  edition  of  Con- 
versations on  Natural  Philosophy.  The  Questions,  Notes,  and  Exi)lanati0n8 
of  Terms,  are  valuable  additions  to  the  work,  and  make  this  edition  superior 
to  any  other  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  I  shall  recommend  it  wherever 
I  have  an  opportunity." 

"  We  avail  oiirselves  of  the  opportunity  furnished  us  by  the  publication  of  a 
new  edition  of  this  deservedlj*  popular  work,  to  recommend  it,  not  only  to 
those  instructors  who  may  not  already  have  adopted  it,  but  also  generally  to 
all  readers  who  are  desirous  of  obtaining  inforniation  on  the  subjects  on  which 
it  treats.  By  Questions  arranged  at  tlie  bottom  of  the  pages,  in  which  the 
collateral  facts  are  arranged,  he  directs  the  attention  of  the  learner  to  the  prin- 
cipal topics.  Mr.  Blake  has  also  added  many  Notes,  which  illustrate  the 
passages  to  which  they  are  appended,  and  the  Dictionary  of  Philosophical 
Terms  is  a  useful  addition."  —  17,  S.  Literary  Gazette^ 


VALUABLE  SCHOOL  BOOKS. 


YOUNG  LADIES'  CLASS  BOOK.  A  Selection  of  Lessons  for 
Eeading  in  Prose  and  Verse.  By  E.  Bailey,  A.M.,  late 
Principal  of  the  Young  Ladies'  High  School,  Boston.  Stereo- 
typed Edition.    12mo.,  sheep.    Price  S3X  cents. 

From  the  Principcds  of  the  Public  Schools  for  Females,  Boston, 

*' Gentlemkx:— We  have  examined  the  Young  Ladies'  Class  Book  with 
interest  and  pleasure  ;  with  interest,  because  we  have  felt  the  want  of  a  Read- 
ing Book  expressl}' designed  for  the  use  of  females ;  and  with  pleasure,  be- 
cause we  have  found  it  well  adapted  to  supply  the  deficiency.  The  high-toned 
morality,  the  freedom  from  sectarianism,  tlie  taste,  richness,  and  aflajdation 
of  the  selections,  added  to  the  neatness  of  its  external  appearance,  must  com- 
mend it  to  all ;  while  the  practical  teacher  will  not  fail  to  observe  that  diversity 
of  style,  together  with  those  peculiar  pomis,  the  want  of  which,  few,  who  have 
not  felt,  know  how  to  supply. 

Bespectfully  yoiu-s,  Barnum  Field,         Abraham  Andrews, 

R.  G.  Pakkee,  Charles  Fox." 

From  the  Principal  of  the  Mount  Vernon  School,  Boston, 

"I  have  examined  with  much  interest  the  Young  Ladies'  Class  Book,  by 
Mr.  Bailey,  and  have  been  very  highly  pleased  witli  its  contents.  It  is  my 
intention  to  introduce  it  into  my  own  school  ;  as  I  regard  it  as  not  only  remark- 
ably well  fitted  to  answer  its  particular  object  as  a  book  of  exercises  in  the  art 
of  elocution,  but  as  calculated  to  have  an  influence  upon  the  character  and 
conduct,  which  will  be  in  every  respect  favorable."  —  Jacob  Abbott. 

""We  were  never  so  struck  with  the  importance  of  having  reading  books 
for  female  schools,  adapted  particularly  to  that  express  purpose,  as  while 
looking  over  the  pages  of  this  selection.  The  eminent  success  of  the  com- 
piler in  teaching  this  branch,  to  which  we  can  personally  bear  testimony,  is 
Bufficient  evidence  of  the  character  of  the  work."  —  Amials  of  Education. 

ROMAN  ANTiaUITIES  AND  ANCIENT  MYTHOLOGY.  By 
C.  K.  Dillaway,  A.m.,  late  Principal  in  the  Boston  Latin 
School.  With  Engravings.  Eighth  Ed.,  improved.  12mo., 
naif  mor.    Price  67  cts. 

From  E.  Bailey,  Principal  of  the  Toung  Ladies'  High  School,  Boston, 

"Having  used  Dillawai/^s  Ronuin  Antiquities  and  Ancient  Mythology  ia 
my  school  for  several  years,  I  commend  it  to  teachers  with  great  confidence, 
as  a  valuable  text-book  on  those  interesting  branches  of  education. 

E.  Bailet." 

"  The  want  of  a  cheap  volume,  embracing  a  succinct  account  of  ancient 
customs,  together  with  a  view  of  classical  mythology,  has  long  been  felt. 
Mr.  Dillaway's  book  seems  to  have  been  prepared  with  special  reference  to 
the  wants  of  those  who  are  just  entering  upon  a  classical  career;  and  we 
deem  it  but  a  simple  act  of  justice  to  say,  that  it  supplies  the  want,  which, 
as  we  have  before  said,  has  long  been  felt.  A  peculiar  merit  of  this  compila- 
tion, and  one  which  will  gain  it  admission  into  our  highly  respectable /e?uafe 
seminaries,  is  the  total  absence  of  all  allusion,  even  the  most  remote,  to  the 
disgusting  oh!<ccnitics  of  ancient  mythology;  while,  at  the  same  time,  nothing 
as  omitted  which  a  pure  mind  would  feel  interested  to  know.  We  recom- 
mend the  book  as  a  valuable  addition  to  the  treatises  in  our  schools  .»nd 
academies."  —  Education  Reporter,  Boston, 

"It  was  reserved  for  one  of  our  Boston  instructors  to  apply  the  condensing 
apparatus  to  this  mass  of  crudities,  and  so  to  modernize  the  antiquities  of  the 
old  Romans,  as  to  make  a  befitting  abridgment  for  schools  of  the  first  order. 
Mr.  Dillaway  has  presented  such  a  compilation  as  must  be  interesting  to  lads, 
and  become  popular  as  a  text-book.  Historical  facts  are  stated  with  great  sim- 
plicity and  clearness  ;  the  most  importiint  points  are  seized  upon,  while  trifling 
peculiarities  are  passed  unnoticed."— ^m.  Traveller. 


VALUABLE  SCHOOL  BOOKS. 


COMPARATIVE  PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY.  The  Earth 
and  Man.  Lectures  on  Comparative  Physical  Geography,  in 
its  relation  to  the  History  of  Mankind.  By  Arnold  Guyot. 
Translated  from  the  French  by  Prof.  C,  C.  Felton.  With 
Illustrations.     Second  Thousand,  12mo.     Price,  ^1  25. 

"Geography  is  here  presented  under  a  new  and  attractive  phase.  It 
is  no  longer  a  dry  description  of  the  features  of  the  earth's  surface. 
The  iiifluetice  of  soil,  scenery,  and  climate  upon  character,  has  not  yet 
received  the  consideration  due  to  it  from  historians  and  philosophers.  In 
the  volume  before  us,  the  profound  investigations  of  Humboldt,  Ritter, 
and  others,  in  Physical  Geography,  are  presented  in  a  popular  form,  and 
with  tlie  clearness  and  vivacity  so  characteristic  of  French  treatises  on 
science.  The  work  should  be  introduced  into  our  higher  schools."  — 
Tlie  Independent,  JV.  Y. 

"  These  lectures  form  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  to  geo- 
graphic il  science  that  has  ever  been  published  in  thi-;  country.  They 
invest  the  study  of  geography  with  an  interest  which  will,  we  doubt  not, 
surprise  and  delight  m  my.  They  will  open  an  entire  new  world  to  most 
readers,  and  will  be  found  an  invaluable  aid  to  the  teacher  and  student 
of  geography." — Evening  Traceller. 

THE  CICERONIAN  ;  Or  the  Prussian  Method  of  Teaching  the 
Latin  Language.  Adapted  to  the  use  of  American  Schools,  by 
B.  Sears.     ISmo.,  half  mor.     Price  50  cents. 

From  the  Professors  of  Harvard  University. 

"  We  beg  leave  to  observe,  that  we  consider  this  book  a  very  valuable  addi- 
tion to  our  stock  of  elementar_y  works.  Its  great  merit  is,  that  it  renders  the 
elementary  instruction  in  Latin  less  mechanical,  by  constantly  calling  the 
reasoning  power  of  the  pupil  into  action,  and  gives,  from  the  beginning,  a 
deeper  insight  into  the  verj-  nature,  principles,  and  laws  not  onlj'  of  the  Latin 
language,  but  of  language  in  general.  If  the  book  required  any  other 
recommendation  besides  that  of  being  the  work  of  so  tliorougli  and  experi- 
enced a  scholar  as  Dr.  Scars,  it  would  be  tliis,  that  the  system  illustrated  in  it 
is  not  a  mere  theory,  but  lias  been  practically  tested  by  many  able  instructors 
in  Germany.    We  wish  that  the  same  trial  may  be  made  here. 

Very  respectfully  yours,  Charles  Beck, 

C.  C.  Feltox." 

From  S.  H.  Taylor,  Principal  of  Phillips'  Academy,  Andover. 

"I  have  examined,  ^^'ith  much  pleasure  and  profit,  the  '  Ciceronian,' pre- 
pared bv  Dr.  Sears.  It  is  admirably  adapted  to  make  thorough  teachers  and 
thorougVi  pupils.  It  requires  of  the  teacher  a  precise  and  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  minutiaB  of  the  Latin  tongue,  and  necessarily  induces  in  the 
pupil  habits  of  close  thought  and  nice  discrimination.  The  plan  of  the  work 
is  excellent.  S.  H.  Tayloe." 

MEMORIA  TECHNICA ;  Or,  the  Art  of  Abbreviating  those 
Studies  which  give  the  greatest  Labor  to  the  Memory;  includ- 
ing Numbers,  Historical  Dates,  Geography,  Astronomy,  Gravi- 
ties, &c.  By  L.  D.  JoHNSox.  Third  Edition,  revised  and 
improved.     Octavo,  cloth  back.     Price  50  cents. 

"  This  system  of  Mnemotechny,  differing  considerably  from  the  one  intro* 
duced  by  Prof.  Gouraud,  is  designed  to  furnish  all  the  rules  for  aiding  the 
memor)' without  lessening  mental  culture,  which  can  be  made  available  dur- 
ing a  course  of  elementary  study.  The  illustrations  may  be  easily  compre- 
hended by  .any  person  of  ordinary  ment.-il  capacity;  and  the  application  of 
the  principles  upon  which  the  system  is  based,  must  necessarily  furnish  an 
agreeable  and  useful  exercise  to  the  mind."  —  ^ew  York  Teachers'  Advocate. 


PHILOSOPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY. 


ANCIENT  LITERATURE  AND  ART ;  Or,  Essays  on  Clas- 
sical Studies,  with  the  Biography  and  Correspondence  of 
Eminent  Philologists,  By  Barnas  Sears,  of  Newton; 
B.  B.  Edavards,  of  Andover;  and  C.  C.  Felton,  of  Cam- 
bridge.    12mo.     Cloth.    Price,  %!  25. 

"  The  object  of  the  accomplished  gentlemen  who  have  engaged  in  its  prepa- 
ration has  been,  to  foster  and  extend  among  educated  men,  iu  this  country,  the 
already  growing  interest  in  classical  studies.  The  design  is  a  noble  and 
generous  one,  and  has  been  executed  with  a  taste  and  good  sense  that  do  honor 
both  to  the  writers  and  the  publishers.  The  book  is  one  which  deserves  a  place 
in  the  library  of  every  educated  man.  To  those  now  engaged  in  classical  study 
it  cannot  fail  to  be  highly  useful,  while  to  the  more  advanced  scliolar,  it  will 
open  new  sources  of  interest  and  delight  in  the  unfoi^otten  pursuits  of  his 
earlier  days."  —  Providence  Journal. 

GESENIUS'S  HEBREW  GRAMMAR,  Translated  from  the 
Eleventh  German  Edition.  By  T.  J.  Conant,  Prof,  of  He- 
brew and  of  Biblical  Criticism  and  Interpretation  in  the  Theol. 
Institution  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y.  With  a  Course  of  Exercises  in 
Hebrew  Grammar,  and  a  Hebrew  Chrestomathy,  prepared  by 
the  Translator.     8vo.  cloth.     Price  $2.00. 

"  ♦^*  Special  reference  has  been  had  in  the  arrangement,  illustrations,  the 
addition  of  the  Course  of  Exercises,  the  Chrestomathy,  &c.,  to  adapt  it  to  the 
wants  of  those  who  may  wish  to  pursue  the  study  of  Hebrew  without  the  aid 
of  a  teacher. 

LIFE  OF  GODFREY  WILLIAM   VON  LIEBNITZ.     On  the 

basis  of  the  German  Work  of  Dr.  G.  E.  Guhrauer.     By  John 
M.  Mackie.     16mo.  cloth.     Price  75  cents. 

"  The  peculiar  relation  which  Liebnitz  sustained  during  his  life  to  Locke 
and  Newton  may  partly  account  for  the  fact  that  a  biography  of  this  great  man 
has  been  so  long  wanting  in  the  English  language.  .  .  .  we  commend  this 
book,  not  only  to  scholars  and  men  of  science,  but  to  all  our  readers  who  love 
to  contemplate  the  life  and  labors  of  a  great  and  good  man.  It  merits  the 
special  notice  of  all  who  are  interested  in  the  business  of  education,  and 
deserves  a  place  by  the  side  of  Brewster's  Life  of  Newton,  in  all  the  libraries 
of  our  schools,  academies,  and  literary  institutions."—  Christian  Watchman. 

"  There  is  perhaps  no  case  on  record  of  a  single  man  who  has  so  gone  the 
roundsof  human  knowledge  as  did  Liebnitz:  he  was  not  a  recluse,  like  Spi- 
noza and  Kant,  but  went  from  capital  to  capital,  and  associated  with  kings 
and  premiers.  All  branches  of  thought  were  interesting  to  him,  and  he  seems 
in  pursuing  all  to  have  been  actuated  not  by  ambition,  but  by  a  sincere 
desire  to  promote  the  knowledge  and  welfare  of  mankind.  —  Christian  World. 

LIFE  OF  ROGER  WILLIAMS,  The  Founder  of  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  By  Wm.  Gammell,  Prof,  in  Brown  University. 
With  a  Likeness.     12mo.  cloth.     Price  75  cents, 

"Mr.  Gamm.ell's  fine  belles-letters  attainments  have  enabled  him  to  present 
his  distinguished  subject  in  the  most  captivating  light.  So  far  as  the  work 
touches  controversies  which  reach  and  influence  the  present  times,  it  is  our 
privilege  as  well  as  duty  to  read  it  as  a  private  citizen,  and  not  as  a  public  jour- 
nalist. Its  mechanical  execution  is  in  the  usually  neat  style  of  the  respectable 
publishers."  —  Christian  Alliance. 

"  This  life  has  many  virtues  -  brevity,  simplicity,  fairness.  Though  written 
by  a  Rhode  Island  man,  and  warm  in  its  approval  of  Roger  "Williams,  it  is 
not  unjust  to  his  Puritan  opponents,  but  only  draws  such  deductions  as  were 
unavoidable  from  the  premises.  It  is  the  life  of  a  good  man,  and  we  read 
with  erateful  complacency  '.he  commeidation  of  his  excellences." 

*  Okrislian  World. 


W.  &  R.  CHAMBERS'S  WORKS. 


^^"^S^.^^  CYCLOPEDIA  OF  ENGLISH  LITERATURE- 

A  selection   of  the   clioicest   productions  of  English  Authors 
trom  the  earliest  to  the  present  time  ;     Connected  by  a  Criti- 
cal and  Biographical  History.     Edited  by  Robert  Chambeks. 
In  two  vols,  octavo,  with  upwards  of  300  elegant  illustrations, 
rnce,  m  cloth,  $5.00. 

V  The  Publishers  of  the  AMERICAI^  Edition  of  this  valuable  work  desire 
to  state,  that,  besides  the  numerous  pictorial  illustrations  in  the  English  Edition, 
they  have  greatly  enriched  the  work  by  the  addition  of  fine  steel  and  mezzotint 
engravings  of  the  heads  of  Shakspeare,  Addison,  Byron  ;  a  full  length  portrait 
of  Dr.  Johnson,  and  a  beautiful  scenic  representation  of  Oliver  Goldsmith  and 
Dr.  Johnson.  These  elegant  additions  together  with  superior  paper  and  bind- 
ing must  give  this  a  decided  preference  over  all  other  editions. 

•  I'l'  ^^  ^^^^  ^1*,'?  P'^culiar  pleasure  the  appearance  of  this  work,  and  more  espec- 
ially its  repubhcation  in  this  country  at  a  price  which  places  it  within  the 
reach  of  a  great  number  of  readers,  and  for  which  they  can  expect  to  be  remu- 
nerated only  by  a  very  extensive  sale." 

"  The  selections  given  by  Mr.  Charabeis  from  the  works  of  the  early  En-^lish 
writers  are  copious,  and  judiciously  made.  *  »  »  *  *  w^e  shall  conclude  as  we 
commenced,  with  expressing  a  hope  that  the  publication  which  has  called 
lorth  our  remarks  will  exert  an  influence  in  directing  tlie  attention  of  the 
public  to  the  hterature  of  our  forefathers."  —  li'orth  American  Review. 

CHAMBERS'S  MISCELLANY  of  Useful  and  Entertaining 
Knowledge,  with  elegant  illustrative  engravings.  Edited  by 
William  Chambers.      Ten  volumes,  cloth.     Price    ^lO.OO 

V  The  design  of  the  Miscellany  is  to  supply  the  increasing  demand  for 
useful,  instructive,  and  entertaining  reading,  and  to  bring  all  the  aids  of  litera- 
ture to  bear  on  the  cultivation  of  the  feelings  and  understanding  of  the  people— 
to  impress  correct  views  on  important  moral  and  social  questions —suppress 
every  species  of  strife  and  savagery  —  cheer  the  lagging  and  desponding  by  the 
relation  of  tales  drawn  from  the  imagination  of  popular  writers  —  rouse  the 
fancy  by  descriptions  of  interesting  foreign  scenes  —  give  a  zest  to  every-day 
occupations  by  ballad  and  lyrical  poetry  —  in  short,  to  furnish  an  unobtrusive 
friend  and  guide,  a  lively  fireside  companion,  as  far  as  that  obj-ect  can  be 
attained  through  the  instrumentality  of  books. 

CHAMBERS'S  LIBRARY  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.  A  series  of 
small  books,  elegantly  illuminated.  Edited  by  William 
Chambers.  Each  volume  forms  a  complete  work,  embel- 
lished with  a  fine  steel  engraving,  and  is  sold  separately. 
18mo.     Price  37K  cents.  ^ 

ORLANDINO:  A  Story  of  Self-Denial.  By  Maria  EDGE'^^'ORTH. 
THE  LITTLE  ROBINSON  :   And  other  Tales. 
UNCLE  SAM'S  MONEY  BOX.     By  Mrs.  S.  C.  Hall. 
JACOPO  :  Tales  by  Miss  Edgeworth  and  others. 
TRUTH  AND  TRUST.    Jervis  Ryland- Victor  and  Lisette. 
ALFRED  IN  INDIA.  CLEVER  BOYS. 

MORAL  COURAGE.  TALES  OF  OLD  ENGLAND. 

0;;^="  Other  volumes  are  in  preparation. 


THE  WORKS  OF  JOHN  HAliFJS,  D  D. 


THE  PRE-AD AMITE  EARTH:  Contributions  to  Theological 
Science.     12mo.     Price  85  cents. 

"It  is  a  book  for  thiukiiig  men."  It  opens  new  trains  of  thought  to  the 
reader  —  puts  him  in  a  new  position  to  survey  the  wonders  of  God's  works ; 
and  compels  Natural  Science  to  bear  her  decided  testimony  iu  support  of  Divine 
Truth."  —  Philadtlphia  Ch.  Observer. 

MAN  PRDIEVAL ;  Or,  the  Constitution  and  Primitive  Condi- 
tion of  the  Human  Being.  A  Contribution  to  Theological  Sci- 
ence. With  a  finely  engraved  portrait  of  the  author ;  12mo. 
cloth,  price  $1.25. 

*«*  This  is  the  second  volume  of  a  series  of  works  on  Theological  Scienee. 
The  first  was  received  wth  much  favor — the  present  is  a  continuation  of  tho 
principles  which  were  seen  holding  their  way  through  the  successive  kingdoms 
of  primeval  nature,  and  are  here  resumed  and  exliibited  in  their  next  higher 
application  to  mdividual  man. 

"His  copious  and  beautiful  illustrations  of  the  successive  laws  of  the  Divine 
Manifestation,  have  jielded  us  inexpressible  delight."  —  Lond.  Eclectic  Review, 

THE  GREAT  COMMISSION  ;  Or,  the  Christian  Church  consti- 
tuted and  charged  to  convey  the  Gospel  to  the  World.  A  Prize 
Essa3^  With  an  Introductory  Essay,  by  W.  R.  Willia3IS,  D.D. 
Sixth  thousand.     12mo.     Price  Sl.OO. 

"  Of  the  several  productions  of  Dr.  Harris,— all  of  them  of  great  value,  —that 
now  before  us  is  destined,  probably,  to  exert  the  most  powerful  influence  in 
forming  tlie  religious  and  missionary  character  of  the  coming  generations.  But 
the  vast  fund  of  argument  and  instruction  comprised  in  these  pages  will  excite 
the  admiration  and  inspire  the  gratitude  of  thousands  in  our  own  land  as  well 
as  in  Europe.  Every  clergyman  and  pious  and  reflecting  layman  ought  to  pos- 
sess the  volume,  and  make  it  familiar  by  repeated  perusal." — Boston  Recorder. 

THE  GREAT  TEACHER;  Or,  Characteristics  of  our  Lord's 
Ministry.  With  an  Introductory'  Essay,  by  H.  Humphkey,  D.D. 
Tenth  thousand.     12mo.     Price  85  cents. 

"  The  book  itself  must  have  cost  much  meditation,  much  communion  on  the 
bosom  of  Jesus,  and  much  praj-er.  Its  style  is,  like  the  country  which  gave  it 
birth,  beautiful,  varied,  huished,  and  everywhere  delightful.  But  the  style  of 
this  work  is  its  smallest  excellence.  It  will  be  read  :  it  ought  to  be  read.  It  will 
find  its  way  to  many  parlors,  and  add  to  the  comforts  of  manj'  a  happy  fireside. 
The  reader  will  rise  from  each  chapter,  not  able,  perhaps,  to  carry  with  him 
many  striking  remarks  or  apparent  paradoxes,  but  he  will  have  a  sweet  im- 
pression made  upon  his  soul,  like  that  which  soft  and  touching  music  makes 
when  every  thing  about  it  is  appropriate.  The  writer  pours  forth  a  clear  and 
beautiful  light,  like  tliat  of  the  evening  lighthouse,  when  it  sheds  its  rays  upon 
the  sleeping  waters,  and  covers  them  with  a  surface  of  gold.  We  can  have  no 
sympathy  with  a  heart  which  yields  not  to  impressions  delicate  and  holy, 
which  the  perusal  of  this  work  will  naturally  make."  —  Hampshire  Gazette. 

MISCELLANIES  ;  Consisting  principally  of  Sermons  and  Essaj's. 
With  an  introductory  Essay  and  notes,  by  J.  Belcher,  D.D. 
16mo.     Price  75  cents. 

"  Some  of  these  essays  are  among  the  finest  in  the  language  ;  and  the  warmth 
and  energy  of  religious  feeling  irianifested,  render  them  peculiai-ly  the  treasure 
of  the  closet  and  the  Christian  fireside."  —  Bamjor  Gazette. 

MAMMON  ;  Or,  Covetousness,  the  Sin  of  the  Christian  Church. 
A  Prize  Essay.     18mo.     Price  45  cents.     Twentieth  thousand. 

ZEBULON ;  Or,  the  Moral  Claims  of  Seamen  stated  and  en- 
forced.    18mo.     Price  25  cents. 

THE  ACTIVE  CHRISTIAN ;  Containing  "  The  Witnessing 
Church,"  etc.    32mo.    Price  31  cents. 


CHURCH  HISTOEY.  — FOLITY  AND  MEMBERSHIP. 


THE  APOSTOLICAL  AND  PRIMITI\'i:  CHURCH  ;  Popular 
m  its  government  and  simple  in  its  worship.  By  Lyman 
Coleman.  With  an  introductory  essay,  by  Dr.  Augustus 
Neander,  of  Berlin.    Second  Edit.     12mo.  cloth.    Price  $1.25. 

From  the  Professors  in  Andover  Theological  Seminary. 
"  The  undersigned  are  pleased  to  hear  that  you  are  soon  to  publish  a  nevr 
edition  of  the  '  Primitive  Church,'  by  Lyman  Coleman.  They  regard  this 
volume  as  the  result  of  extensive  and  original  research ;  as  embodying  vei-y 
important  materials  for  reference,  much  sound  thought  and  conclusive^argu- 
ment.  In  their  estimation,  it  may  both  interest  and  instruct  the  intelligent 
layman,  may  be  profitably  used  as  a  Text  Book  for  Theological  Students, 
and  should  especially  form  a  part  of  the  libraries  of  clergymen.  The  intro- 
duction, by  Neandee,  is  of  itself  sufficient  to  recommend  the  volume  to 
the  literary  public."  Leonard  Woods,  Bela  B.  Edwards, 

Kalph  Emerson,  Edward  A.  Park. 

THE  CHUPvCH  MEMBER'S  HAND  BOOK.  A  Guide  to 
the  Doctrines  and  Practices  of  Baptist  Churches.  By  Rev, 
"William  Crowell.     ISrno.  Cloth.     Price  37^  cents. 

"  We  have  never  met  with  a  book  of  this  siz-^  (hat  contained  so  Cull  and  complete  a 
Byuopsis  of  the  Doclrines  and  Practice  of  the  E.iptist,  or  any  other  church,  as  this.  Mr. 
Cttpw.  II  is  one  of  the  ablest  writers  in  the  deiioitjinatiun,  and  if  there  is  a  subject  in  the 
whole  range  of  Christianity  which  he  is  pre-eminently  qualified  to  discnss,  it  is  the  one 
before  ua.  'I  he  '  Hand  Book  '  is  not  an  abriiljment  of  the  '  Churcli  Member's  Man- 
ual,' by  the  same  author,  but  is  written  expressly  as  a  brief,  plain  g'uide  to  young  mem- 
bers of  the  chnrc'i.  It  appears  to  have  been  prepared  with  much  care  and  lalx)r,  and 
is  just  such  a  book  as  is  needed  bv  every  vouuh:  church  member;  we  might  safely  add, 
and  by  most  of  t.)e  older  members  in  the  denomination  ;  for  there  is  a  vast  amount  of 
information  in  it  that  will  be  foinid  of  practical  use  to  all."  —  Christian  Secretary. 

"  It  is  concise,  clear,  and  comprehensive  ;  and,  as  an  exposition  of  ecclesiastical  prin- 
ciples and  practice,  is  worthy  of  careful  study  of  all  the  young  members  of  our  churches. 
We  hope  it  may  lie  widely  circulated,  and  that  the  youthful  thousands  of  our  Israel 
may  become  funiliir  with  its  pagf-s." —  Watchman  and  Reflector. 

THE  CHURCH  IN  EARNEST;  By  John  Angell  James. 
18mo.  cloth ;  price  50  cents. 

'•  A  very  seasonable  ptblication.  The  church  universal  needs  a  re-awakening 
to  its  high  vocation,  and  tlii3  is  a  book  to  effect,  so  far  as  human  intellect  can,  the 
much  desired  resuscitation."  —  N.  Y.  Com.  Adv. 

"  Wc  are  glad  to  see  that  this  subject  has  arrested  the  pen  of  Mr.  James.  We 
welcome  and  commend  it.  I/Ct  it  be  scattered  like  autumn  leaves.  We  believe 
its  perusal  will  do  much  to  impress  a  conviction  of  the  high  mission  of  the  Chris- 
tian, and  much  to  arouse  the  Christian  to  fulfil  it."  — ^V.  Y.  Recorder. 

"  We  rejoice  that  this  work  has  been  republished  in  this  country,  and  we  can- 
not too  strongly  comroentl  it  to  the  serious  perusal  of  the  churches  of  every 
name." —  Christian  Alliance. 

"  Mr.  James's  writings  all  have  one  object,  to  do  execution.  He  writes  under 
the  impulse  —  Do  something,  do  it.  He  studies  not  to  be  a  profound  or  learned, 
but  a  practical  writer.  He  aims  to  raise  the  standard  of  piety,  holiness  in  the 
heart,  and  holiness  of  life.  The  influence  which  this  work  will  exert  on  the 
church  must  be  highly  salutary."  —  Boston  Recorder. 

THE  CHUR(;H  MEMBER'S  GUIDE,  By  Rev.  J.  A.  James. 
Edited  by  Rev.  J.  0.  Choules.  New  Edition  ;  with  an  Intro- 
ductory Essay,  by  Rev.  H.  Winslow.  18mo.  cloth.  Price  38 
cents. 

A  pastor  writes— "I  sincerely  wish  that  every  professor  of  religion  in  the 
land  may  possess  this  excellent  manual.  I  am  anxious  that  every  member 
of  my  church  should  possess  it,  and  shall  be  happy  to  promote  its  circulation 
Btill  more  extensively." 

"The  sponUmeous  effusion  of  our  heart,  on  laying  the  book  down,  was, — 
may  every  church-member  in  our  land  soon  possess  this  book,  and  be  blessed 
with  all  the  happiness  which  conformity  to  its  evangelic  sentunents  and 
directions  is  calculatec'.  to  confer."  —  Christian  Secretary. 


THE  WORKS   OF  JENKYN— CHURCH  — KEMPIS. 


THE  EXTENT  OF  THE  ATONEMENT,  in  its  relation  to  God 
and  the  Universe.  By  Thomas  W.  Jekkyn,  D.D.  12mo. 
cloth.     Price  85  cents. 

"We  have  examined  this  work  with  profound  interest  and  become  deeply 
impressed  witli  its  value.  Its  style  is  lucid,  its  analysis  perfect,  its  spirit  and 
tendencies  eminently  evangelical.  We  have  nowhere  else  seen  the  atone- 
ment so  clearly  defined,  or  vindicated  on  grounds  so  appreciable." 

Neio  York  Recorder, 

"As  a  treatise  on  the  grand  relation  of  the  Atonement,  it  is  a  book  which 
may  be  emphatically  said  to  contain  the  '  seeds  of  tilings,'  the  elements  of 
mightier  and  nobler  contributions  of  thought  respecting  the  sacrifice  of  Christ, 
than  any  modern  production.  It  is  characterized  by  highly  original  and 
dense  trains  of  thought,  which  make  the  reader  feel  that  he  is  holding  com- 
munion with  a  mind  that  can  'mingle  with  the  universe.'  We  consider  this 
volume  as  setting  the  long  and  fiercely  agitated  question,  as  to  the  extent  of 
the  Atonement,  completely  at  rest.  Posterity  will  thank  the  author  till  the 
latest  ages,  for  his  illustrious  arguments."  —  iVipw  York  Evan'jpUnt. 

THE  UNION  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

in  the  Conversion  of  the  World.     By  Thomas  W.  Jexkyn, 
D.D.     12mo.,  cloth.     Price  85  cents. 

"  The  discussion  is  eminently  scriptural,  placing  its  grand  theme,  the  union 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Church  in  the  conversion  of  the  world,  in  a  very 
clear  and  atfecting  light."  —  Christian  Watchman. 

"  A  very  excellent  work  upon  a  very  important  subject.  The  author  seems 
to  have  studied  it  in  all  its  bearings,  as  presented  to  his  contemplation  in  the 
sacred  volume."  —  London,  Eva^.gelical  Magazine. 

"  Fine  talent,  sound  learning,  and  scriptural  piety  pervade  every  page.  It  is 
impossible  that  it  can  be  read  without  producing  great  eftects.  Mr.  Jenkyn 
deserves  the  thanks  of  the  whole  body  of  Christians  for  a  book  which  will 
greatly  benefit  the  world  and  the  church."  —  London  Evangelist. 

ANTIOCH  ;  Or,  Increase  of  Moral  Power  in  the  Church  of 
Christ.  By  Rev.  P.  Church.  With  an  Introductory  Essay, 
by  Baeon  Stow,  D.D.     18mo.,  cloth.     Price  50  cents. 

"It is  a  book  of  close  and  consecutive  thought,  and  treats  of  subjects  which 
are  of  the  deepest  interest,  at  the  present  time,  to  the  churches  of  this  country. 
The  author  is  favorably  known  to  the  religious  public,  as  an  original  thinker, 
and  a  forcible  writer."  —  Christian  Reflector. 

"  By  some  this  book  v/ill  be  condemned,  by  many  it  will  be  read  with 
pleasure,  because  it  analyzes  and  renders  tangible,  princii)les  that  have  been 
vaguely  conceived  in  many  minds,  reluctantlj'^  promulgated,  and  hesitatingly 
believed.  We  advise  our  bretliren  to  read  the  book,  and  judge  for  them- 
selves." —  Baptist  Record. 

•  It  is  the  work  of  an  original  thinker,  on  a  subject  of  great  practical  interest 
to  the  church.  It  is  replete  with  suggestions,  which,  in  our  view,  are  emi- 
nently worthy  of  consideration."  — Phila.  Christian  Ohsei~ver. 

THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST.  By  Thomas  a  Kempis. 
With  an  Introductory  Essay,  by  T.  Chalmers,  D.D.  A  new 
and  improved  edition.  Edited  by  H.  Malco3I,  D.D.  18mo., 
cloth.     Price  38  cents. 

THE  PERSON  AND  WORK  OF  CHRIST.  By  Ernest 
Sartorius,  D.  D.  Translated  from  the  German,  by  Rev. 
O. 'S.  Stearns,  A.  M.     Cloth.    42  cents. 

"  A  work  of  much  ability,  and  presenting  the  argument  in  a  style  that 
will  be  new  to  most  American  readers,  it  will  deservedly  attract  atten- 
tion."—  vV.  Y.  Observer. 


MEMOIRS  OF  DISTINGUISHED  MISSIONARIES. 


MEMOIR  OF  ANN  H.  JUDSON,  late  Missionary  to  Burmah. 
By  Rev.  James  D.  Knowles.  With  a  likeness.  12mo.,  fine 
Edition,  price  85  cents.     18mo.     Price  68  cents. 

"  We  are  particularly  gratified  to  perceive  a  new  edition  of  the  Memoirs  of 
Mrs.  Judson.  She  was  an  honor  to  our  countr_y  —  one  of  the  most  noble- 
Bpirited  of  her  sex.  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  surprising,  that  so  manj--  editions, 
and  so  many  thousand  copies  of  her  life  and  adventures  have  been  sold. 
The  name  —  the  long  career  of  suffering —  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of  the 
retired  country-girl,  have  spread  over  the  whole  world ;  and  the  heroism  of 
her  apostleship  and  almost  martyrdom,  stands  out  a  living  and  heavenly 
beacon-fire,  amid  the  dark  midnight  of  ages,  and  human  history  and  exploits. 
She  was  the  first  luoman  who  resolved  to  become  a  missionary  to  heathen 
countries."  — American  Traveller. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  pieces  of  female  biography  which  has 
ever  come  under  our  notice.  No  quotation,  which  our  limits  allow,  would  do 
justice  to  the  facts,  and  we  must,  therefore,  refer  our  readers  to  the  volume 
itself.    It  ought  to  be  immediately  added  to  every  family  library." 

London  Miscellany, 

MEMOIR  OF  GEORGE  DANA  BOARDMAN,  Late  Missionary 
to  Bunnah,  containing  much  intelligence  relative  to  the  Bur- 
man  mission.  By  Rev.  Aloxzo  King.  Embellished  with  a 
Likeness ;  a  beautiful  Vignette,  representing  the  baptismal 
scene  just  before  his  death  ;  and  a  drawing  of  his  tomb.  By 
Rev.  H.  Malcom,  D.D.     12mo.     Price  75  cents. 

"  One  of  the  brightest  luminaries  of  Burmah  is  extinguished  — dear  brother 
Boardman  is  gone  to  his  eternal  rest.  He  fell  gloriously  at  the  head  of  his 
troops — in  the  arms  of  victory,  —  thirty-eight  wild  Karens  having  been 
brought  into  the  camp  of  king  Jesus  since  the  beginning  of  the  yearj  besides 
the  thirty-two  that  were  brought  in  during  the  two  preceding  years.  Dis- 
abled by  wounds,  he  was  obliged,  through  the  whole  of  the  last  expedition,  to 
be  carried  on  a  litter  ;  but  his  presence  was  a  host,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  accom- 
panied his  dying  whispers  with  almighty  influence."  —  Rev.  Dr.  Judson. 

MEMOIR  OF  MRS.  HENRIETTA  SHUCK,  The  first  American 
Female  Missionary  to  China.  By  Rev.  J.  B.  Jeter.  With  a 
Likeness.     Fourth  thousand.     18mo.     Price  50  cents. 

"The  style  of  the  author  is  sedate  and  perspicuous,  such  as  we  might 
expect  from  his  known  piety  and  learning,  his  attachment  to  missions,  and 
the  amiable  lady  whose  memory  he  embalms.  The  book  will  be  extensively 
read  and  eminently  useful,  and  thus  the  ends  sought  by  the  author  will  bo 
happily  secured.  We  think  we  are  not  mistaken  in  this  opinion.  Those 
who  are  interested  in  China,  that  large  opening  field  for  the  glorious  con- 
quests of  divine  truth,  will  be  interested  in  this  Memoir.  To  the  friends  of 
missions  generally,  the  book  is  commended,  as  worthy  of  an  attentive  peru- 
sal." —  The  Family  Visitor,  Boston, 

MEMOIR  OF  REV.  WILLIAM  G.  CROCKER.  Late  Missionary 
ill  West  Africa,  among  the  Bassas,  Including  a  History  of  the 
Mission.  By  R.  B.  Medbeky.  With  a  likeness.  18mo. 
Price  62K  cents. 

"  Our  acquaintance  with  the  excellent  brother,  who  is  the  subject  of  this 
Memoir,  will  be  long  and  fondly  cherished.  This  volume,  prepared  by  a  lady, 
of  true  taste  and  talent,  and  of  a  kindred  spirit,  while  it  is  but  a  just  tribute 
to  his  worth,  will,  we  doubt  not,  furnish  lessons  of  humble  and  practical  piety, 
and  will  give  such  facts  relative  to  the  mission  to  which  he  devoted  his  life,  as 
to  render  it  worthy  a  distinguished  place  among  the  religious  and  missionary 
biography  which  has  so  much  enriched  the  family  of  God."  —  WatchmoM. 


WORKS  ON  MISSIONS. 

THE  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISE  ;  A  Collection  of  Discourses 
on  Christian  i^Iissions,  by  American  Authors.  Edited  bv 
Baron  Stoav,  D.D.     12mo.,  cloth.    Price  85  cents.  , 

"  If.  we  desired  to  put  into  the  hands  of  a  foreigner  a  fair  exhibition  of  the 
capacity  and  sp.rit  of  the  American  church,  ve  would  give  hhn  this  volume 
Yoa  have  here  tiirmvn  together  a  few  discourses,  preachld  f ro  n  t  me  to  time* 
hL  ^^  ^"i"''^"'"^!,'^^''°^  different  denominations,  as  circumst™ces  Ce 
demanded  them  ,•  and  you  see  the  stature  and  feel  the  pulse  of  the  Americla 
Church  m  these  discourses  with  a  certainty  not  to  be  mistaken.  ^™"'^'^^ 
♦•.  ,u  r""  *  '®  '"^'^  .*^^1''*  °^  ^^^  American  church,  We  venture  the  asser- 
takn  in  TtsnnYr  %l't\'^'>''^  ^.^^  -^h  an  amTunt  of  forceful  avaUabie 
laient  m  its  pulpit.  The  energy,  directness,  scope,  and  intellectual -snirit  of 
«ie  Amencan  church  is  wonderful.  In  this  book,  the  discourses  Cor 
Beecher,  Pres.  AVayland,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stone  of  the  Episcoparchurcfi  are 

K^r^o*^''  Thfs  vot'''*^"-,iHi"°""  ''■'^^"'''  eorrectnesst-^nd&inrpopu- 
JS  "^"^"'"'^  ""■'"  ^''^^  ^  ^'^'^^  circulation."- r/ie  .Yew  Englander. 

This  work  contains  fifteen  sermons  on  Missions,  bv  Rev.  Drs  Wavland 
Griffin,  Anderson,  WiUiams.  Beecher.  Miller,  Fuller  Banian  Stone^  Mason 
and  hj  Rev.  Messrs.  Kirk,  Stow,  and  Ide.  It  is  a  rix;h  treasu;e  whfch  ou^ht 
to  be  in  the  possession  of  every  American  Christian." -CarXai^.^r^" 

THE  GREAT  COMMISSION ;  Or,  the  Christian  Church  consti- 
hited  and  charged  to  convey  the  Gospel  to  the  world.  A  Prize 
Essay  By  John  Harris,  D.D.  With  an  Introductory  Essav, 
S- .    ii  n'n  ^^^^"^^^is,   D.D.     Sixth  thousand.     12mo.,  cloth! 

"His  plan  is  original  and  comprehensive.  In  fiUino- it  un  the  author  hi^ 
Sou7hTtTat'are^o:'"l-  ^'«\-"d  glowing  illustrations:  Id'^w'jth't  ains  of 
thought  that  are  sometimes  almost  resistless  in  their  appeals  to  the  conscience 
?^I-^  'f  r'  •"O'-f  distinguished  for  its  argument.,  and  its  geniiTthan  for 
the  spirit  of  deep  and  fervent  piety  that  pervades  it."-  The  jfayspring 

venJlv  pl^^lt^'fi"".'"'';^''''^^  "^""^^^  ^""^  ^\^S^rvt.  Its  sentiments  richly  and  fer- 
vency evangelical,  its  argumentation  conclusive." -lion's  Herald,  Boston 

would  bTbutSlll'ir'J'/"  *Il'  friends  of  missions  of  all  denominations 
tTe  credit  of  hnv?n/.n^1-'  "^^  ^^^^O"- deserves  and  will  undoubtedly  receive 
by  the  bIessL<.rf  f'od^^i  h1?-  °^7 '^^'^  "^  that  great  moral  machine  which, 
oy  me  Diessing  ot  Crod,  is  desaned  to  evangelize  the  world." 

,  Christian  Secretary,  Hartford. 

«.>,^i  ,,  ^1*^1*.  *^^  volume  will  be  attentively  and  prayerfully  read  by  the 
tie  wortT'and'IhJftr"  ^'."Ih^ ^  .^ith  the  "  Grea't  Com^mis^sion  "^o  evang^eHze 
»^H  1  '  .  that  they  will  be  moved  to  an  immediate  discharge  of  its  high 
and  momentous  obligations.— A''.  E.  Furitan,  Boston.  ^ 

THE  KAREN  APOSTLE  ;  Or,  Memoir  of  Ko  Thah-Byu,  the 

hrst  Karen  convert  with  notices  concerning  his  Nation.  By  the 
Eev.  Francis  Mason.  Edited  by  Prof.  H.  J.  Ripley.  Fifth 
thousand.     18mo.,  cloth.    Price  25  cents. 

J17^^}\^  work  of  thrilling  interest,  containing  the  history  of  a  remarkable 
man.and  giving  also,  much  Ti^formation  respecting  the  Karen  Mission  here! 
tofore  unknown  in  this  country.  It  gives  an  account,  whfch  mu  t  be  ittraci 
hv  m  w'^'  Its  novelty,  of  a  people  that  have  been  but  'little  known  and  v  ited 
i^^^QS  woc^C^'T'  '"•'^'^''l"/  *^^^  y^^''-  The  baptism  of  Ko  Tliah  Byu  in 
S.  f  *^f  beginning  of  the  mission,  and  at  the  end  of  these  twelve  >wf 
twelve  hundred  and  seventy  Karens  are  officially  reported  as  members  of  the 
hvT.  I''  '°  ^''?^  standing.  The  mission  has  bc-eu  carried  oi  pie-eminently 
dLnP.     *     '^^'^""u^'''''  =^°^  there  is  no  doubt,  from  much  touch  ngevi^ 

foSirs^p'reT^srs.'^"^"™'''  '"^^  '""'^  "^  "^^-^'^  p-'^"-'^  -'-s 


HYMN    BOOKS. 


THE  PSALMIST :    A  Xew   Collection  of  Hymns,  for  the  use 

of  the  Baptist  Churches.     By  Bakon  Stow  and  S.  F.  Smith. 

Assisted   by    W.  E.  WilUaras,  Geo.  B.  Ide,  II.  W.  Griswold, 

S.  P.  Hill,  J.  B.  Taylor,   J.  L.  Dagg,  W.  T.  Brantly,   K.  B.  C. 

Howell,  Samuel  W.  Lynd,  and  John  M.  Peck. 

Pulpit  edition,  12mo.  sheep.  Price  $1.25.  Pew  edition,  ISmo., 
75  cents.  Pocket  edition,  32mo.,  56^1  cts.  —  All  the  different 
sizes  supplied  in  extra  styles  of  binding  at  corresponding 
prices. 

*,*  This  work  it  mayjie  said,  has  become  the  book  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation, having  been  introduced  extensively  into  every  State  in  the  Union, 
and  the  British  provinces.    As  a  collection  of  hymns  it  stands  unrivalled. 

The  united  testimony  of  pastors  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Boston  and 
•vicinity,  in  New  Yorlc,  and  in  Philadelphia,  of  the  most  decided  and  flatter- 
ing character,  has  been  given  in  favor  of  the  book.  Also,  by  the  Professors  in 
Hamilton  Literary  and  Theological  Institution,  end  the  Kewton  Theological 
Institution.  The  same,  also,  has  been  done  by  a  great  number  of  clergjrmen, 
churches,  Associations,  and  Conventions,  in  everj'  State  of  the  Union. 

The  following  notice,  from  the  Miami  Association,  of  Ohio,  is  but  a  speci- 
men of  a  host  of  others,  received  by  the  publishers  : 

"Your  Committee  recommend  to  the  attention  of  the  Churches,  the  new 
work  called  '  The  Psalmist,' as  worthy  of  special  patronage.  1.  It  <s  exceed- 
ingly desirable  tliat  our  whole  denomination  should  use  in  the  praises  of  the 
sanctuary  the  same  psahns,  hj'mns.  and  spiritual  songs.  To  secure  uniformity, 
we  prefer  '  The  Psalmist,'  because  it  is  strictly,  and  from  the  foundation, 
designed  for  the  use  of  Baptist  churches,  —  is  not  surpassed  by  any  Hymn 
Book  in  the  world.  2.  It  has  been  prepared  with  the  greatest  care.  In  no 
instance  has  a  Hymn  Book  gone  through  so  thorougli  a  revision.  3.  It  is  a 
book  of  very  superior  merits.  The  Committee  therefore  recommend  to  the 
churches  the  adoption  of  this  work  as  well  calculated  to  elevate  the  taste  and 
the  devotion  of  the  denomination." 

THE   PSALMIST,    WITH   A   SUPPLEMENT,    By    Richakd 

Fuller,  of  Baltimore,  and  J.  B.  Jeter,  of  Kichmond.     (Style 
and  prices  same  as  above.) 

***This  work  contains  nearly  thirteen  hundred  h'jmns,  original  and  selected, 
by  172  writers,  besides  pieces  credited  to  fifty-five  collections  of  hymns  or  other 
works,  the  authorship  of  which  is  unknown.  Forty-five  are  anonymous,  being 
traced  neither  to  authors  nor  collections. 

The  Supplement,  occupying  the  place  of  the  Chants,  which  in  many 
sections  of  the  country  are  seldom  used,  was  undertaken  by  Kev.  Messrs. 
Fuller  and  Jeter,  at  the  solicitation  of  friends  at  the  South. 

"  The  Psalmist  contains  a  copious  supply  of  excellent  hymns  for  the 
pulpit.  We  are  acquainted  witli  no  collection  of  hymns  combining,  in  an 
equal  degree,  poetic  merit,  evangelical  sentiment,  and  a  licli  variety  of  sub- 
jects, with  a  happy  adaptation  to  pulpit  services.  Old  songs,  like  old  friends, 
are  more  valuable  than  new  ones.  A  number  of  the  liynnis  best  known,  most 
valued,  and  most  fre(iuently  sung  in  the  South,  are  not  found  in  the  Psalmist. 
Without  them,  no  hymn  book,  whatever  maybe  its  excellences,  is  likely  to 
become  generally  or  permanently  popular  in  that  region."  —  Pre/ace. 

COMPANION  FOR  THE  PSALMIST.  Containing  Original 
Music.  Arranged  for  Hymns  in  '  The  Psalmist,'  of  peculiai 
character  and  metre.     By  N.  D.  Gould.     Price  VDi  cents. 

WINCHELL'S  WATTS.     WATTS  AND  RIPPON. 


VALUABLE  WORKS  ON  BAPTISM. 


JEWETT  ON  BAPTISM.  The  Mode  and  Subjects  of  Baptism. 
By  MiLO  P.  Jkwktt,  A.M.,  late  Professor  in  Marietta  College 
and  a  licensed  ]\linister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Tenth 
thousand.     Price  25  cents. 

Rev.  J.  R.  Graves,  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Tennessee  Baptist,  in  a  recent 
number  of  his  paper,  says  :  "  Who  will  write  the  history  of  one  little  Jcwett  on 
jBaptifiii  ?  Hundreds  iu  our  land  have  been  converted  to  the  truth  hj  perus- 
ing that  book.  In  the  past  year,  Remington,  an  able  JMethodist  preacher,  read 
that  work.  It  resulted  in  his  conversion  —he  wrote  A/'.s '  reasons,' and  they 
converted  another  preacher,  and  the  pebble  thus  thrown  by  Bro  Jcwett  in  the 
sea  of  mind,  produced  a  wave  which  produced  another,  and  thus  in  long  suc- 
cession they  will  travel  on,  each  producing  its  successor  until  they  break  on 
the  shores  of  eternity.  Is  the  object  not  a  commendable  one?  It  is  pouring 
oil  upon  the  unresting  wave  of  religious  mind,  lashed  by  angry  discussions. 
Such  books  read  iu  solitude  with  one's  Bible  and  his  God,  will  hush  the  tem- 
pest of  his  owu  soul  to  rest." 

.rUDSON  ON  BAPTIS3I.  A  Discourse  on  Christian  Baptism; 
with  many  quotations  from  Pedobapist  authors.  To  which  ara 
added  a  letter  to  the  church  in  Plymouth,  Ms.,  and  an  address 
on  the  mode  of  baptizing.  By  Adonikam  Judson.  Fifth 
American  edition,  revised  and  enlarged  by  the  Author.  18mo. 
Price  25  cents. 

*if*  This  work  is  now  published  In  book  form,  and  having  been  thoroughly 
revised  and  enlarged  by  its  venerable  author,  while  in  this  country,  it  will  be 
sought  for  and  read  with  interest  by  all. 

"It  is  a  clear,  calm,  and  convincing  view  of  the  futility  of  the  distinguish- 
ing points  of  Pedobaptism.  and  a  rational  and  scriptural  defence  of  the 
baptism  of  persons  of  suitable  age  and  qualiti cations,  and  in  the  manner 
prescribed  in  the  New^  Testament." —  Chrislian  Review,  Dec.  1S47. 

ESSAY  ON  CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  By  Ptev.  Baptist 
W.  Noel.  "Pie  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved."     16mo.     Cloth.     Price  60  cents. 

Extract  froin  Preface.  —  During  my  niinisrry  In  the  estaLlishnnent,  an  indefinite 
fear  ol  the  coticlusiuus  ai  which  I  jiiight  arrive,  led  me  to  avoid  the  sUidy  of  the  ques- 
tion of  baptism  ;  but  I  le!t  obliged  to  examine  honestl>'  each  passage  of  Scripture  upon 
the  subji'Ct  wliich  came  in  my  way,  and  the  evidence  thus  obiaint-,1  convinced  me  thnt 
repentance  and  faiih  oiiarht  lo  precede  baptism.  Aware  liow  many  arc  disposed  to 
attribute  any  opinion  wliich  contradicts  their  o\vn,  to  such  a  pariial,  one-sided  investi- 
gation as  they  practise  tliemselves,  I  determined  lo  form  my  own  judgment  endrely 
by  the  stmly  of  tlie  Scviptmes,  and  of  such  authors  as  advocate  the  baplism  of  infants. 
To  that  determinadon  1  liave  adhered  ;  aud  not  having  read  a  single  Baptist  book  or 
tract,  I  publish  the  following  work  as  an  independent  testimony  to  the  exclusive  right 
of  believers  to  Cnristian  baplism. 


THE  CHRISTIAN  REVIEW.  A  Quarterly  Publication.  Edited 
by  J.  D.  KxowLES.  Bar>^\.s  Sears,  and"^S.  F.  Sjiith. 

A  limited  ninnber  of  complete  sets,  from  lf;36  to_  1843 
inclusive,  being  the  first  Eight  volumes,  can  be  supphed  at 
$10.00  per  set,  in  neat  Clotirbacks. 

A  fcAv  copies  of  the  work,  from  vol.  2  to  vol.  8  inclusive, 
will  be  supplied  in  boards,  the  seven  volumes,  for  $5.00  per  set. 

Single  volumes  (except  the  frst)^  supplied  in  numbers,  at 
$1.00  per  volume. 

This  work  contains  valuable  contributions  from  nil  the  leading  men  of  the 
Baptist  denomination,  and  is  an  important  acquisition  to  any  library.  The 
present  opportunity  to  secure  sets  of  the  early  volumes  of  this  work  at  thia 
greatly  reduced  price,  will,  we  are  sure,  be  embraced  by  many  who  desire  to 
possess  it,  and  may  never  again  have  so  favorable  an  opportunity,  as  the 
■tock  on  hand  is  limited. 


KIPLEY'S  NOTES.  —  CRUDEN'S   CONCORDANCE. 


THE  FOUR  GOSPELS,  AVITH  NOTES.  Chiefly  Explanatory ; 
intended  principally  for  Sabbath  School  Teachers  and  Bible 
Classes,  and  as  an  aid  to  Family  Instruction.  By  H.  J. 
Ripley.  With  a  Map  of  Palestine.  Eighth  thousand.  12mo., 
half  morocco.     Price  $1.25. 

"  The  undersigned,  having  examined  Professor  Ripley's  Notes  on  the  Gos- 
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study  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  Those  passages  which  all  can  understand  are 
left  'without  note  or  comment,'  and  the  principal  labor  is  devoted  to  the 
explanation  of  such  parts  as  need  to  be  explained  and  rescued  from  the  per- 
versions of  errorists,  botfl  the  ignorant  and  the  learned.  The  practical  sug- 
gestions at  the  close  of  each  chapter,  are  not  the  least  valuable  portion  of  the 
work.  !Most  cordially,  for  the  sake  of  truth  and  righteousness,  do  we  wish  for 
these  Notes  a  wide  circulation." 

Baron  Stow,         R  H.  Nealk,  K.  Tuettbull, 

Daniel  Sharp,      J.  "VV.  Parker,  N.  Colter, 

Wm.  Hague.  K.  W.  Cushman,      J.  W.  Boswoeth. 

THE  ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES,  WITH  NOTES.  Chiefly 
Explanatorj'.  Designed  for  Teachers  in  Sabbath  Schools  and 
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"  On  examining  the  contents,  we  are  favorably  impressed,  first,  by  the  won- 
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secondly,  by  the  completeness  and  systcjnatic  arrangement  of  the  work,  in  all 
its  parts  ;  thirdly,  by  the  correct  theology,  solid  instruction,  and  consistent 
explanations  of  difficult  passages.  The  work  cannot  fail  to  be  received  with 
favor."  —  Christum  Reflector,  Boston. 

CRUDEN'S  CONDENSED  CONCORDANCE.  A  Complete 
Concordance  to  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  by  Alexander  Cru- 
DEN,  M.A.  a  Ncav  and  Condensed  Edition,  -with  an  Introduc- 
tion ;  bv  Rev.  David  King,  LL.D.  Fifth  Thousand.  Price, 
in  Boards,  Sl.25  ;  Sheep,  $1.50. 

*^*  This  edition  is  printed  from  English  plates,  and  is  a  full  and  fair  copy 
of  all  that  is  valuable  in  Cruden  as  a  Concordance.  The  condensation  of  the 
quotations  of  Scripture,  arranged  under  their  most  obvious  heads,  while  it 
diminishes  the  bulk  of  the  work,  greatly  facilitates  the  finding  of  any  required 
passage. 

"  Those  who  have  been  acquainted  with  the  various  works  of  this  kind 
now  in  use,  well  know  that  Crudcn's  Concordance  far  excels  all  others.  Yet 
we  have  in  this  edition  the  best  made  better.  That  is,  the  present  is  better 
adapted  to  the  purposes  of  a  Concordance,  by  the  erasure  of  superfluous 
references,  the  omission  of  unnecessary  explanations,  and  the  contraction  of 
quotations,  &c. ;  it  is  better  as  a  manual,  and  is  better  adapted  by  its  price  to 
the  means  of  many  who  need  and  ought  to  possess  such  a  work,  than  the 
former  larger  and  expensive  edition."  —  Boston  Recorder. 

"  The  new,  condensed,  and  cheap  work  prepared  from  the  voluminous  and 
costly  one  of  Cruden,  opportunely  fills  a  chasm  in  our  Biblical  literature. 
The  work  has  been  examined  critically,  and  pronounced  complete  and  accu- 
rate." —  Baptist  Record,  Philadelphia. 

"This  is  the  very  work  of  which  we  hnve  long  felt  the  need,  and  we  are 
ranch  plensed  that  its  enterprising  publishers  can  now  furnish  the  student  of 
the  Bible  with  a  work  which  he  so  much  needs  at  so  cheap  a  rate." 

Advent  Herald,  Boston. 

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ministers  and  Bible  students,  as  the  larger  edition."  —  Christian  Reflector. 


FOR  SABBATH  SCHOOLS. 


MALCOM'S  BIBLE  DICTIONARY.  A  Dictionary  of  the 
most  important  Names,  Objects,  and  Terms,  found  in  the 
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Teachers  and  Bible  Classes.  By  H.  Malco3i,  D.I).  Illus- 
trated by  Engravings.  18mo.  half  morocco.  One  Hundreth 
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once  see  the  difficulty  which  the  author  must  have  felt  m  compressing  all  tho 
information  which  he  has  so  judiciously  condensed.  If  any  should  inquire, 
Why  have  we  not  more,  the  themes  being  so  numerous  ?  let  such  an  one  look 
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BO  completely  portable,  we  have  so  much?  to  have  made  a  larger  book  as 
could  have  been  done  with  far  less  labor  than  this  cost,  might  have  placed  it 
beyond  the  reach  of  many,  to  whom  it  will  now  be  useful.  All  who  know  the 
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It  is  very  neatly  printed  on  handsome  type  and  fine  paper,  and  will,  wo 
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HAGUE'S  GUIDE  TO  CONVERSATION  on  the  New  Testament. 

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SABBATH     SCHOOL    CLASS    BOOK.      Comprising   copious 

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REV.  HARVEY  NEWCOMB'S  WORKS. 


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SACRED    RHETORIC: 

Or  Composition  and  Delivery  of  Sermons. 
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panion to  Whately,  in  the  general  study  of  Rhetoric."  —  JV.  Y.  Literary 
World. 

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who  can  avail  thera'^elves  of  it,  and  especially  by  all  young  rainislers."  — 
JV.  Y.  Recorder, 


REPUBLICAN    CHRISTIANITY: 

OR    TRUE    LIBERTY; 

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By  E.»L.  Magoon. 

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inquirj'  of  the  present  day.  It  describes  clearly  the  corruptions  ofpast 
times,  the  imperfections  of  the  present,  and  the  changes  that  must  he 
effected  in  the  forms  and  spirit  of  relig'ion,  and  through  religion,  upon  the 
State,  to  secure  to  us  better  and  brigliter  prospects  for  the  future.  The 
author  is  not  afraid  to  expose  and  condemn  the  errors  and  corruptions, 
either  of  the  church  or  state." —  Christian  Watchman. 

"  It  is  a  very  readable,  and  we  think  will  prove  a  useful  book.  The  ar- 
gument is  clear  and  well  sustained,  and  the  style  bold  and  direct.  The 
tone  and  spirit  of  the  entire  work  are  that  of  an  independent  thinker,  and 
of  a  man  whose  sympathies  are  with  the  many  and  not  with  the  few,  with 
no  privileged  cluss,  but  with  the  human  race.  We  commend  this  hook  to 
all  lovers  of  true  liberty  and  of  a  pure  Ciiristianity,"  —  Providence  Journal. 

"  Mr.  Magoon  thinks  boldly,  and  speaks  frankly,  and  with  a  variety  and 
freshness  of  illustration  that  never  fail  to  command  attention."  —  JVeto 
York  Tnbune. 

"  He  considers  Christianity  in  all  its  parts  as  essentially  republican.  He 
has  maintained  his  position  with  great  tact.  It  is  a  clear,  striking,  attrac- 
tive presentation  of  his  views,  and  the  reasons  for  them.  It  will  excite 
attention,  both  from  tlie  subject  itself,  and  from  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
handled."  —  Philadelphia  Chronicle. 

"This  book  is  one  which  the  masses  will  read  with  avidity,  and  its  pe- 
rusal, we  tliink,  will  fire  up  the  zeal  of  some  Christian  scholars."  —  Baptist 
Memorial, 


PROVERBS  FOR  THE  PEOPLE: 

Or,  Illustrations  of  practical  Godliness,  drawn  from  the  Book  of  Wisdom. 

By  E.  L.    Magoon, 

12mo.     Price,  90  cents. 

"  He  is  quaint,  sententious.  He  has  indeed  the  three  great  qualities, 
*pith,  point,  and  pathos  ;'  and  always  enforces  high  and  noble  sentiments." 
—  JVew  York  Recorder. 

"  It  is  a  popular  manual  of  great  practical  utility. "  —  Ch.  Chronicle,  Phila. 

"  The  subjects  are  so  selected  as  to  embrace  nearly  all  the  practical 
duties  of  lifi'.  The  work,  in  consequence  of  this  peculiar  character,  will 
be  found  extensively  useful."  —  Rochester  Democrat. 

"  The  work  abounds  with  original  and  pithy  matter,  well  adapted  to  en- 
gage the  attention  and  to  reform  the  life.  We  hope  these  discourses  will 
be  extensively  read."  —  Morning-  Star,  Dover. 

"  It  is  an  excellent  book  for  young  people,  and  especially  for  young  men, 
amidst  the  temptations  of  business  and  pleasure." Albany  Express. 


HISTORY   OF 

AMERICAN    BAPTIST   MISSIONS, 

IN    ASIA,  AFRICA,   EUROPE,   AND    NORTH   AMERICA, 

Under  the  care  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union. 

By  William  Gammell,  A.  M. 

With  seven  Maps.    12mo.     Price,  Seventy-five  cents. 


"  We  welcome  with  unfeigned  pleasure  this  new  contribution  to  thff 
literature  of  Christian  Missions.  The  author  relates  the  history  of  the 
several  missions  in  his  own  words,  presenting  a  concise  and  luminous  nar- 
rative of  each.  The  volume  is  written  in  an  easy  and  elegant  style,  and  is 
worthy  of  the  high  station  and  name  of  the  author."  —  Baptist  Magazine. 

"  The  need  for  such  a  work  has  long  been  felt.  It  is  true  that  the  matter 
here  presented  has  been  acceptable  in  other  forms.  But  it  needed  to  be 
condensed,  arranged,  and  presented  to  the  reader  in  an  attractive  form.  To 
all  who  wish  to  comprehend  the  present  position  of  our  stations,  by  a 
knowledge  of  their  past  history,  it  will  be  an  invaluable  aid.  Indeed,  a 
copy  should  be  in  every  family.  Pastors  and  others  who  wish  to  urge  for- 
ward the  home  work  of  foreign  missions,  would  do  well  to  circulate  it  as 
widely  as  possible  in  the  churches."  —  Philadelphia  Chronicle. 

"  Prof.  Gammell  is  a  writer  of  rare  taste.  The  preparation  of  such  a 
work  could  not  have  fallen  into  better  hands.  The  reader  is  borne  along 
from  chapter  to  chapter  with  a  narrative  which,  while  it  fully  satisfies  his 
desire  to  know,  commends  itself  as  entirely  truthful  and  trustworthy.  The 
facts  recorded  are  as  carefully  stated  as  the  style  of  the  work  is  chastened 
and  pure.  That  it  will  greatly  promote  the  missionary  spirit,  and  serve  to 
increase  the  missionary  zeal  of  our  churches,  we  have  no  question.  In 
reading  wo  have  been  struck  with  the  diiference  between  a  knowledge  of 
our  missions,  gathered  from  magazines  and  newspapers  scattered  through 
successive  years,  and  that  which  is  obtained  from  a  compact  and  authori- 
tative narrative,  bringing  the  whole  before  the  observer  at  a  single  view. 
Let  pastors,  friends  of  missions,  agents,  and  colporteurs,  scatter  it  by  thou- 
sands. Like  bread  cast  upon  the  waters,  it  will  come  back  in  prayers  and 
blessings.     No  Baptist  family  should  be  without  it."  —  JV.  Y.  Recorder. 

"  This  work  is  the  result  of  great  labor  and  research,  and  presents  an 
exceedingly  satisfactory  view  of  the  missionary  operations  of  the  Baptists 
in  this  country.  It  is  well  that  it  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  man  whose 
extensive  knowledge  and  good  judgment  and  candid  Christian  spirit  qualify 
him  so  eminently  for  such  a  service." dlbany  Argus. 

"  Emanating  from  such  a  source,  and  under  such  auspices,  the  volume 
before  us  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  American  literature,  as  well  as  to 
the  history  of  Christian  missions.  Prof.  Gammell  has  executed  his  task 
with  singular  success.  The  style,  always  clear  and  correct,  is  graceful  and 
flowing,  and  in  many  a  passage,  descriptive  of  the  toils  and  adventures  of 
missionary  life,  is  full  of  eloquence  and  beauty."—  Pro^xdence  Journal. 

"  Prof.  Gammell  has  exhibited  evidence,  in  this  volume,  of  deep  research 
and  great  fidelity.  He  has  not  merely  furnished  us  with  statistics,  but  has 
thrown  around  his  subject  almost  the  attraction  of  romance.  It  will  be 
read  with  much  interest,  we  think,  by  laymen,  and  will  be  especially  useful 
to  clergymen  as  an  authoritative  reference  book.  We  heartily  commend 
this  volume  to  our  readers." —  Baptist  Memorial. 

{fy'  The  work  is  printed  in  handsome  style,  and  sold  at  the  very  low  price  of 
75  cents  per  copy.  Pastors,  agents,  and  others  who  may  engage  in  its  circji- 
lation,  toill  be  supplied  on  very  liberal  terms,  by  the  dozen  or  hundred. 


THE    EARTH    AND    MAN: 

Lectures  on  Comparative  Physical  Geography,  in  its  Relation  to  the  History 

of  Mankind. 

Bv  Arnold  Guyot,  Prof.  Phys.  Geo.  and  Hist.,  Neuchatel. 

Translated  from  the  French  by  Prof.  C.  C.  Felton.     With  Illustrations, 

12mo.     Price,  $1  25. 


"  The  work  is  one  of  high  merit,  exhibiting  a  wide  range  of  knowledge, 
great  research,  and  a  philosopliical  spirit  of  investigation.  Its  perusal  will 
well  repay  the  most  learned  in  such  subjects,  and  give  new  views  to  all  of 
man's  relation  to  the  globe  he  inhabits."  —  SilUman^s  Journal. 

''  To  the  reader  we  shall  owe  no  apology,  if  we  have  said  enough  to 
excite  his  curiosity,  and  to  persuade  him  to  look  to  the  book  itself  for  fur- 
ther instruction."  — JVorth  American  Revieio. 

"  The  grand  idea  of  the  work  is  happily  expressed  by  the  author,  where 
he  calls  it  t!ie  geographical  march  of  history.  *  *  *  'J'he  man  of  science 
will  hail  it  as  a  beautiful  generalization  from  the  facts  of  observation.  The 
Christian,  who  trusts  in  a  merciful  Providence,  will  draw  coiirage  from  it, 
and  hope  yet  more  earnestly  for  the  redemption  of  the  most  degraded  por- 
tions of  mankind.  Faith,  science,  learning,  poetry,  taste,  in  a  word, 
genius,  have  liberally  contributed  to  the  production  of  the  work  under 
review.  Sometimes  we  feel  as  if  we  were  studying  a  treatise  on  the  exact 
sciences  ;  at  others,  it  strikes  the  ear  like  an  epic  poem.  Now  it  reads  like 
history,  and  now  it  sounds  like  prophecy.  It  will  find  readers  in  whatever 
language  it  may  be  published  ;  and  in  the  elegant  English  dress  which  it 
has  received  from  the  accomplished  pen  of  the  translator,  it  will  not  fail  to 
interest,  instruct,  and  inspire."  —  Christian  Examiner. 

"  These  lectures  form  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  to  geogra- 
phical science  that  has  ever  been  published  in  this  country.  They  invest 
the  study  of  geography  with  an  interest  which  will,  we  doubt  not,  surprise 
and  delight  many.  They  will  open  an  entire  new  world  to  most  readers, 
and  will  be  found  an  invaluable  aid  to  the  teacher  and  student  of  geog- 
raphy."—  Evening  Traveller. 

"  We  venture  to  pronounce  this  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive books  which  have  come  from  the  American  press  for  many  a  month. 
The  science  of  which  it  treats,  is  comparatively  of  recent  origin  ;  but  it  is  of 
great  importance,  not  only  on  account  of  its  connections  with  other  branches 
of  knowledge,  but  for  its  bearing  upon  many  of  the  interests  of  society. 
It  abounds  with  the  richest  interest  and  instruction  to  every  intelligent 
reader,  and  is  especially  fitted  to  awaken  enthusiasm  and  delight  in  all  who 
are  devoted  to  the  study,  either  of  natural  science  or  the  history  of  man- 
kind." —  Providence  Journal. 

"  Geography  is  here  presented  under  a  new  and  attractive  phase  ;  it  is  no 
longer  a  dry  desf- iption  of  the  features  of  the  earth's  surface.  The  influ- 
ence of  soil,  scenery,  and  climate  upon  character,  has  not  yet  received  the 
consideration  due  to  it  from  historians  and  philosophers.  In  the  volume 
before  us,  the  profound  investigations  of  Humboldt,  Ritter,  and  others,  in 
Physical  Geography,  are  presented  in  a  popular  form,  and  with  the  clear- 
ness and  vivacity  so  characteristic  of  French  treatises  on  science.  The 
work  should  be  introduced  into  our  higher  schools." — TTie  Independent^ 
JWuj  York. 

"  Geography  is  here  made  to  assume  a  dignity  not  heretofore  attached  to 
it.  The  knowledge  communicated  in  these  lectures  is  curious,  unexpected, 
absorbing."  —  Christian  Mirror,  Portland. 


PROGRESSIVE    PENMANSHIP, 

PLAIN   AND    ORNAMENTAL, 

FOE  THE  USE  OE  SCHOOLS  ; 

BY  N.  D.  GOULD, 

Author  of  '  Beauties  of  Writing^''    '  Writing  Master'' s  Assistant.'' 

Messrs.  Gould,  Kendall  &  Lincoln  are  happy  to  announce 
^Q  above  work  from  a  well-known  penman,  whose  great  experi- 
ence in  execution  and  instruction  has  so  eminently  qualified  him 
to  devise  a  system  of  Penmanship  adapted  both  to  the  wants  of 
Schools,  and  for  the  exercise  of  the  experienced  Penman. 

The  copies  are  an'anged  in  progressive  series,  and  are  likewise 
so  diversified  by  the  introduction  of  variations  in  style,  and 
especially  by  the  interspersion  of  a  great  number  of  Capital  let- 
ters, as  to  command  the  constant  attention  and  exercise  the 
ingenuity  of  the  learner,  thus  removing  some  of  the  most  serious 
obstacles  to  the  success  of  the  teacher.  They  are  divided  into 
five  series,  intended  for  the  like  number  of  books,  and  are  so  ar- 
ranged that  a  copy  always  comes  over  the  top  of  the  page  on 
which  it  is  to  be  written. 

There  are  ninety-six  copies,  presenting,  in  the  first  place,  a 
regular  inductive  system  of  Penmanship  for  oi'dinary  business 
purposes,  followed  by  examples  of  every  variety  of  Ornamental 
Writing. 

The  Copy  Books  are  of  two  sizes,  medium  and  letter  sheet,  — 
thus  accommodating  the  wants  of  those  who  desire  larger  sized 
books  than  are  in  general  use.  The  letter  sheet  size  is  divided 
into  four  consecutive  books ;  the  smaller  sizes  into  five. 

The  admirable  and  natural  plan  of  the  work,  the  beauty  of  its 
execution,  the  superior  quality  of  the  paper,  and  its  cheapness^ 
mast  commend  it  to  the  favorable  regard  of  every  one. 

Teachers,  School  Committees,  and  others  interested,  are 
invited  to  examine  this  series,  which  is  confidently  presented 
as  superior,  in  plan  and  execution,  to  any  book  of  the  kind 
heretofore  published. 


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